Man Allegedly Steals Credit Cards to Buy Chick-fil-A Gift Cards

That’s one way to EAT MOR CHIKIN.

A man in Texas allegedly stole credit cards to stock up on a near-unlimited supply of chicken nuggets and waffle fries, purchasing a total of $9,000 worth of Chick-fil-A gift cards over the span of two days.

Police in Austin, Texas, arrested David Ricketts, 26, on May 6 after employees called and reported a man they believed was using stolen credit cards.

According to reports, Ricketts attempted to use multiple credit cards that day to buy about $2,000 worth of gift cards. Investigators also later found he’d purchased $7,000 in gift cards from the same restaurant two days before.

So how much chicken would $9,000 buy at Chick-fil-A? Even if Ricketts were to purchase the large version of every item on the menu, plus each kid’s meal, he’d still have about $8,750 left to spend, or enough for 35 more visits making that same full menu purchase.

Ricketts probably won’t get his Chick-fil-A fix any time soon, though. He is currently being held on a $15,000 bond and faces forgery and credit card abuse charges. After this incident, Chick-fil-A will require all customers to show ID if they want to purchase gift cards with a credit or debit card.

In today’s digital age, identity thieves don’t need a physical credit card to go shopping. That’s why it’s a good idea to check your credit card statements for anything strange — like gift certificate charges at Chick-fil-A. (You can also view your free credit report once a year from AnnualCreditReport.com and see two of your credit scores for free, updated every 14 days, on Credit.com.)

More Money-Saving Reads:

• What’s a Good Credit Score?
• What’s a Bad Credit Score?
• How Credit Impacts Your Day-to-Day Life

Image: plherrera