Two men have allegedly duped at least 11 stores throughout California and Nevada, returning Apple Watch boxes that only contained a water bottle and paper towels.
On Feb. 13, an unknown man brought his Apple Watch box, enclosed in shrink wrap, to a Target in Encinitas, located at 1010 North El Camino Boulevard, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
The man took the box to the customer service desk, the clerk processed his return and the man was given more than $300 for the “watch.”
The box was then restocked on the sales floor. But on Feb. 18, someone opened the box and discovered it held nothing but a water bottle and paper towels.
Since Jan. 28, the same crime, carried out by at least two suspects, has been reported at stores in San Diego, Chula Vista, Glendale, Los Angeles, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Canoga Park, Camarillo and Las Vegas.
Sheriff’s officials believe the suspects have gained more than $5,200 from the scheme.
The first suspect is described as a dark-skinned man with brown hair and brown eyes, standing between 5-feet-10-inches and 6-feet tall and weighing about 175 pounds.
Local
The second suspect is described as a dark-skinned man with brown hair and brown eyes, standing between 5-feet-8-inches and 5-feet-10-inches tall and weighing about 150 pounds.
The sheriff’s department says they may be driving a silver sedan with a sunroof.
If you know anything about this case, call Sgt. Rich Eaton at 760-966-3500 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
