Six Arrested in Alleged $1.4M Walmart Fraud

Peoria police say a two-month investigation sparked by a Walmart driver’s report of numerous packages addressed to different names at one home uncovered an alleged fraud operation involving stolen customer account and payment information. Investigators say the group placed about 15,500 orders on Walmart.com, routing merchandise through drop houses and boba shops before sending it from California to Vietnam; court documents link more than 11,000 orders worth at least $768,000 to six drop houses, while estimates of the overall scheme range from about $1.2 million to $1.4 million. Six people were arrested and face charges including identity theft and fraudulent schemes. Authorities recovered about $25,000 in merchandise, $35,000 in cash and $45,000 in gold bars.