Six people from New York have been charged with allegedly attempting fraudulent transactions at the Deer Park Apple Store near Chicago, according to the Chicago Tribune. Lake County authorities tell the paper that the scheme is an "organized criminal enterprise."

deerparkapplestore
Last week, authorities learned that the scheme was being attempted at various Apple Stores in the Chicago area. The suspects were using stolen identities and credit card numbers throughout the country to make purchases, according to police.

Christopher Covelli, a spokesman for the sheriff's office, told the Chicago Tribune that the suspects would fly into O'Hare International Airport, rent a car, and immediately head to local Apple Stores to attempt the enterprise. Authorities began increasing patrols and surveillance around the Deer Park store after another store in Schaumburg was targeted. Between Wednesday and Sunday, six people attempted the scheme at the store. Police recovered $10,000 worth of stolen Apple products from the alleged suspects.

Covelli said the traveling scheme is not common with out-of-state individuals.

Top Rated Comments

44267547 Avatar
124 months ago
Link this charge with previous torrent site KAT being taken down, all Apple protects is the profit alone, and nothing more.
The only matter business care is money.
What else does Apple have to protect? It's called Loss Prevention and preventing loss with cooperating with Law Enforcement to assist in stopping those criminals involved. This was a great stop and believe me, their are more than six individuals involved, there are always more. These criminals would have continued their behavior until they were caught, as they have Nothing to lose.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HopefulHumanist Avatar
124 months ago
Will they ever implement Apple Pay? I don't think it's active in store…
It most certainly is active; I've used it a few times in Apple Stores now.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
subjonas Avatar
124 months ago
It's a pity that humanity will never find the cure for being young and foolish.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
124 months ago
So they got maybe max 5 MacBooks (pros, airs etc.(assuming varying configurations, not all highest priced)), 7-8 iPads depending on model or config. Or 7-12 iPhones Or a little of everything... For an "enterprise" specializing in theft, this kind of seems to be on the lean side for what they were targeting. Nice to hear they were caught though "coughs" "erm charged"
Being they were caught early on and not later, this would have continued to until they hit as many Apple Stores as possible. $10,000 is not much in terms of hardware, which easily could have approached $100,000 if they were not Apprehended. Not to mention the lives ruined with stolen identity, which is another level by itself. These are career criminals.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
first535353 Avatar
124 months ago
('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/07/25/fraud-scheme-chicago-apple-store/')


Six people from New York have been charged with allegedly attempting fraudulent transactions at the Deer Park Apple Store near Chicago, according ('http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/news/ct-lns-lake-county-apple-arrests-0726-20160725-story.html') to the Chicago Tribune. Lake County authorities tell the paper that the scheme is an "organized criminal enterprise."



Last week, authorities learned that the scheme was being attempted at various Apple Stores in the Chicago area. The suspects were using stolen identities and credit card numbers throughout the country to make purchases, according to police.

Christopher Covelli, a spokesman for the sheriff's office, told the Chicago Tribune that the suspects would fly into O'Hare International Airport, rent a car, and immediately head to local Apple Stores to attempt the enterprise. Authorities began increasing patrols and surveillance around the Deer Park store after another store in Schaumburg was targeted. Between Wednesday and Sunday, six people attempted the scheme at the store. Police recovered $10,000 worth of stolen Apple products from the alleged suspects.

Covelli said the traveling scheme is not common with out-of-state individuals.

Article Link: Authorities Charge 6 in Chicago Apple Store Traveling Fraud Scheme ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/07/25/fraud-scheme-chicago-apple-store/')
OMG I LIVE 7 MINUTES FROM DEER PARK IL!!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nickmcpherson97 Avatar
124 months ago
So they got maybe max 5 MacBooks (pros, airs etc.(assuming varying configurations, not all highest priced)), 7-8 iPads depending on model or config. Or 7-12 iPhones Or a little of everything... For an "enterprise" specializing in theft, this kind of seems to be on the lean side for what they were targeting. Nice to hear they were caught though "coughs" "erm charged"
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Spotlight

Apple Expected to Unveil Five All-New Products This Year

Wednesday January 21, 2026 10:54 am PST by
In addition to updating many of its existing products, Apple is expected to unveil five all-new products this year, including a smart home hub, a Face ID doorbell, a MacBook with an A18 Pro chip, a foldable iPhone, and augmented reality glasses. Below, we have recapped rumored features for each product. Smart Home Hub Apple home hub (concept) Apple's long-rumored smart home hub should...
airpods pro 3 purple

New, Higher End AirPods Pro Coming This Year

Tuesday January 20, 2026 9:05 am PST by
Apple is planning to debut a high-end secondary version of AirPods Pro 3 this year, sitting in the lineup alongside the current model, reports suggest. Back in September 2025, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to introduce a successor to the AirPods Pro 3 in 2026. This would be somewhat unusual since Apple normally waits around three years to make major...
airtag prime day 2

Apple Developing AirTag-Sized AI Pin With Dual Cameras

Wednesday January 21, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
Apple is working on a small, wearable AI pin equipped with multiple cameras, a speaker, and microphones, reports The Information. If it actually launches, the AI pin will likely run the new Siri chatbot that Apple plans to unveil in iOS 27. The pin is said to be similar in size to an AirTag, with a thin, flat, circular disc shape. It has an aluminum and glass shell, and two cameras at the...
smaller dynamic island iphone 18 pro Filip Vabrous%CC%8Cek

iPhone 18 Pro Leak: Smaller Dynamic Island, No Top-Left Camera Cutout

Tuesday January 20, 2026 2:34 am PST by
Over the last few months, rumors around the iPhone 18 Pro's front-panel design have been conflicted, with some supply-chain leaks pointing to under-display Face ID, reports suggesting a top-left hole-punch camera, and debate over whether the familiar Dynamic Island will shrink, shift, or disappear entirely. Today, Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital shared new details that appear to clarify the ...
M5 MacBook Pro

MacBook Pro to Receive Up to Six New Features by Next Year

Thursday January 22, 2026 9:31 am PST by
Apple is expected to release MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips soon, but you might want to pass on them, as bigger changes are around the corner. It has been reported that the MacBook Pro will be receiving a major redesign in late 2026 or in 2027. Six new features have been rumored so far, including an OLED display, touch capabilities, a Dynamic Island, M6 Pro and M6 Max chips...