Stop & Shop shoppers were caught for “stealing $27,000 worth of groceries using a brazen fake coupon trick.”
TWO Stop & Shop customers have been accused of stealing $27,000 worth of groceries using a coupon scam.
The women reportedly shopped at at least 15 stores in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
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Jacqueline White, 41, and Crystal Travis, 40, were indicted by a Plymouth County grand jury on Tuesday.
According to Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz, every woman faces one count of larceny by false pretense and one count of larceny to obtain personal effects.
According to a local Fox affiliate, White also faces charges of organized retail theft WFXT.
The indictments say the women shopped at multiple Stop & Shop locations in Massachusetts between March 10 and June 2.
According to Cruz, the women used fake coupons to steal $26,547 worth of items from stores during that time.
Prosecutors claimed the women gave the counterfeit coupons to Stop & Shop cashiers.
The coupons helped the women buy products at a significant discount.
Prosecutors said the women created high-quality counterfeit coupons that contained barcodes and designs that bore a striking resemblance to third-party coupons.
Additionally, White and Travis allegedly used social media sites and apps like Dropbox to purchase fake coupons.
In one case, on March 10, the two women used a Stop & Shop rewards card to purchase more than 360 items valued at $1,658.28, according to the indictment.
But by using their fake coupons, the bill came down to only $3.28.
According to Cruz, the women then allegedly sold many of the stolen items at a significant discount, advertised the products on Facebook, and demanded cash in return.
Hingham and Abington Police conducted a months-long investigation.
The Coupon Information Center, a Florida-based group that fights coupon fraud, also helped with the investigation.
White and Travis are scheduled to face charges in Brockton Superior Court in the coming months.