Barnstable Police Arrest Serial Thief That Poses As Non Profit Organization

CCT – With some good investigative work and an eagle-eyed detective, Barnstable police captured a Malden woman, wanted in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. According to a Barnstable police release, officers responded to a past larceny call at Best Buy in the Cape Cod Mall on Tuesday.

Store employees told police a woman had approached a Best Buy associate and said she worked for a non-profit organization and that she was interested in purchasing two Microsoft tablets with a combined value of $2,600. The woman reportedly took the tablets to the front end cashier and said due to her tax-exempt status, she had paid for the items at the customer service desk.

Not long after she left the store, employees realized she had stolen the tablets and contacted Barnstable police. Detective Valerie Hemmila identified the suspect on store video as 39-year-old Danielle Scrima of Malden. Malden had reportedly used the same story to steal 3 iPod Touches from the Hyannis Toys R Us in November 2013, police said.

Ah, the old “I already paid for it” scam. It’s as elaborate as the day is long. I can’t say I’m surprised though, this was bound to happen sooner or later. Have you ever asked an “associate” at Best Buy a question? I did. Once. In 2007, and it went something like this…

Hippie: “I have a huge bay window in my living room so it’s very bright during the day, would you recommend a plasma or an LCD television for my situation?”

Best Buy Guy: “I love lamp.”

Ever since then I keep my eyes down and mind my own business, there’s nothing more depressing than asking someone a question, looking in their eyes, and seeing the back of their skull.

So, as harsh as we are with criminals on this site, this time you kinda have to blame the stores. If you hire coat racks as employees eventually someone is going to pull the wool over their eyes with a less than Mission Impossible level scam.