Apple Store Employee Charged With Stealing Nearly $1 Million in Apple Gift Cards

[MacRumors]

Ruben Profit, a 24-year-old employee at an Apple Store in New York's Queens Center Mall, has been charged with grand larceny and faces up to fifteen years in prison for an illegal scheme he ran while using his privileges as an Apple retail employee (via NBC).

Profit used re-coded Visa and American Express debit, credit, or gift cards to purchase numerous Apple gift cards, which he would then sell to other individuals at highly discounted prices.

Profit told police that he was paid $200 for each $2,000 Apple gift card he provided to another individual, according to prosecutors. Profit faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. He was arraigned Friday and is being held on $20,000 bail.

The 24-year-old began working with the company in December of 2013, but transferred to the Queens location when it opened its doors this past July. He began purchasing the gift cards soon after -- the total coming in at $997,000 -- with receipts dating his purchases between August and October of 2015. When arrested, Profit was said to be in possession of 51 of the re-coded Visa and American Express cards, along with seven Apple gift cards with $2,000 on each.

Article Link: Apple Store Employee Charged With Stealing Nearly $1 Million in Apple Gift Cards

 

[sputnikv]

Almost enough for a maxed out Mac Pro

 

[cbflip2000]

Profit wanted to profit

 

[rodpascoe]

Almost enough for a maxed out Mac Pro

Just a couple of months more - so close!

 

[Razeus]

He got greedy.

 

[TMRJIJ]

Dang. . . .Send that fool to the white room. Ruben will not “Profit” from this crime.

 

[jamesryanbell]

"re-coded" Visa and M/C? What does that mean?

 

[Craigwilliam]

He must've made a huge profit on that deal. His excuse was that he was just ruben from the rich to give to the poor.

 

[Sunday Ironfoot]

Considering he sold $2000 gift cards for only $200, he didn't profit 'that' much. Not living up to his name

 

[CEmajr]

Sold himself way short. $2000 GCs for $200? At a minimum I would expect to get $1000 each.

 

[Benjamin Frost]

Amazing how so much evil goes undetected for so long.

VW's diesel fixing went undetected for years. Makes you realise it's a big, bad world.

 

[MacHead84]

So his name is "Profit" ? lol

 

[NeroAZ]

Lock his ass up! Thief's deserve to rot in jail. sounds like he was also doing some CC fraud, only 15 years?!

 

[nezr]

Considering he sold $2000 gift cards for only $200, he didn't profit 'that' much. Not living up to his name

Ya id sell it for at least $1k

 

[Benjamin Frost]

He must've made a huge profit on that deal. His excuse was that he was just ruben from the rich to give to the poor.

Now you're just ruben his name in it.

 

[Plutonius]

And Apple employees complaining about bag searches. It wouldn't have caught this guy but, the guy's actions show that the Apple stores have to keep an eye on it's employees.

 

[wlossw]

"re-coded" Visa and M/C? What does that mean?

Stolen and magnetically printed on another card.

 

[SmplyRckless]

Damn, if they would've waited until after Christmas to apprehend him.

 

[evilrt]

He recoded them wrong.

 

[peterh988]

"re-coded" Visa and M/C? What does that mean?

The stolen information was written to a blank card, and as he was more than likely selling these things to himself, they could have been genuinely blank, just a plain white card with a magnetic strip, no need to fake any artwork because he didn't have to fool a shop employee. Quite an easy scam, really, with the US having swipe and sign (as it would have been when these thefts were committed, I assume)

 

[8CoreWhore]

He has a colorful Twitter account.

"re-coded" Visa and M/C? What does that mean?

Read this:

 

[Benjamin Frost]

Here he is:

 

[iapplelove]

15 years in jail, he can change his name from profit to butthurt.

 

[odditie]

How did they not find this out with the sales data within the store? How many $2,000 gift cards do you sell on a regular basis?

 

[pika2000]

His name is Ruben Profit. Is this a joke?