MOBILE, Alabama — Mobile police are asking the public to help identify two men caught on surveillance video using a debit card that was stolen from a local woman who lives with a mental illness.
Surveillance images released
A Mobile Police Department spokeswoman said investigators released still images showing the pair leaving a retail location after using the stolen card. The photos, pulled from store surveillance footage, carry a timestamp from early summer, giving detectives a rough window for when the transactions took place.
According to police, the men obtained the woman’s debit card in late May or early June and used it to make more than $600 in fraudulent purchases before the theft was discovered. Investigators have not said how the card was originally taken from the victim, whose identity has not been released out of consideration for her privacy and vulnerability.
Targeting a vulnerable victim
Cases involving victims who live with mental illness or other vulnerabilities often draw additional scrutiny from investigators, since such victims can be less likely to immediately notice unauthorized charges or report them quickly. Advocates for people with disabilities have long pushed for stronger consumer protections and quicker bank fraud alerts specifically to help limit financial exploitation in these situations.
Mobile police did not release a description of the suspects beyond the images themselves, but the surveillance photos give the public a direct look at the pair believed responsible for the spending spree. Investigators say identifying the men is a key step toward building a case that could lead to theft and fraud charges.
Tip line open for the public
Anyone who recognizes the two men pictured in the surveillance images is asked to contact Mobile’s Crime Stoppers tip line or reach the police department’s intelligence unit directly. Tips can be submitted anonymously, and police noted that even small details, such as a name or a workplace, could help move the investigation forward.
The case remains open, and no arrests had been announced as of the police department’s public appeal for information. Officials said the release of the surveillance images was intended to generate leads quickly while the fraudulent purchases were still fresh in the minds of anyone who may have witnessed the transactions in person.