By love-89.com In a chilling incident, a spa owner in Southern California lost nearly $60,000 in a mere 13 seconds due to a brazen theft. The event unfolded at Snatch Me Up California Body Sculpting in Victorville on September 21, as reported by FOX 11 News. A thief entered through the front door, made a beeline for the counter, and walked away with a single POS machine—just one item—but the consequences were devastating.
Owner Ruthie Vartanian expressed her despair, saying, “I’m crushed because this is our life savings.” Following the incident, she quickly transferred all funds associated with the stolen equipment out of her American bank accounts, thinking this would prevent any further transactions by the thief. However, Vartanian later learned that the POS machine could be used to transfer funds to reloadable prepaid credit cards, and these transactions are notoriously difficult to trace.
Unfortunately, this type of crime is not new. Two years prior, a similar theft occurred at the Grand Salon in Brea, Orange County, where thieves made off with about $40,000 worth of equipment. In another case last year, Toronto police apprehended a woman with nearly 80 stolen POS devices in her possession.
Vartanian noted that her bank had initially advised her, “We’re not quite sure how to prevent or stop this kind of new crime.” Initially, she was told she would be responsible for the funds that were stolen. However, after the incident received media attention, the bank reached out to her, indicating they were looking into the matter further. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is actively investigating the case as well.
Since the robbery, Vartanian has taken precautions by bringing the POS machine home every night to prevent future thefts. The police recommend that small businesses set up passwords on their bank accounts to enhance security.