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Shopper Uses Valid Gift Cards, Winds Up Behind Bars
By
Ben Muessig
Published Feb 4, 2010
Modified Feb 4, 2010
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By
Ben Muessig
Published Feb 4, 2010
Modified Feb 4, 2010
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A 24-year-old woman says she was handcuffed and thrown into a police holding cell when she tried to use a valid gift card at a NoHo Best Buy. Llona Klaver wanted to buy a DVD player with American Express gift cards she received from her father and brother, but she claims a cashier told her one wasn't valid because it didn't have raised numbers, while another was deemed unacceptable because it was connected to a different person's credit card. Then the cashier accused her of credit card fraud.
Klaver told NY1 she tried to call her brother to see if the gift card was linked to his credit card, but a cashier purportedly told her: "No that's not it, you must know someone who makes fake credit cards...This is credit card fraud." Police officers escorted Klaver to a security room in the back of the store where she called her father, who gave police his credit card number and tried to tell them he purchased the gift cards directly from American Express. That wasn't enough stop police from cuffing her, bringing her to a precinct, and putting her in a holding cell for an hour.
"I could hear the cop on the other line with a supervisor from American Express saying 'Oh all three were purchased in California' because that's where my family lives and 'Oh, you make cards without raised numbers, Oh,'" she said. When Klaver got out, she returned to Best Buy to try to get her money back, but the store reportedly refused and also declined to give her the DVD player. Best Buy has since offered to refund Klaver and says the incident occurred because an employee "mistakenly provided the card issuer with the wrong card information." Klaver has filed suit against the electronics shop.
Tagged
best buy
broadway
cashier
credit card
credit card fraud
dvd
dvd player
gift card
handcuffs
noho
nypd
police
precinct
Ben Muessig
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