Can You Help Identify These Credit Card Thieves?

Tis the season to be jolly - and, apparently,  to commit crime.

Mesa County authorities are searching for individuals who used stolen credit cards to fraudulently purchase $12,000 worth of merchandise.

The featured surveillance photo, which has surprising clarity, was taken November 17 at Best Buy in Grand Junction. Authorities would "like to speak" with these two people.

If you have information about the identity of these individuals or this crime, please contact the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office at (970) 242-6707 or Crime Stoppers of Mesa County at (970) 241-STOP.

Grand Valley shoppers are reminded to be extra vigilant in the coming weeks as thieves and scammers will be looking to take advantage of unsuspecting victims. You don't see these people and you may falsely assume it's never going to happen to, but, in truth, these kinds of perpetrators are out there and just waiting for an opportunity to come along. Don't be that opportunity.

Guard your wallet, your PIN, and for those online purchases be extra careful about which websites you allow access to your personal credit card information. So many people are already struggling this time of year for a variety of reasons, and the last thing anyone needs is to be the victim of credit card fraud or identity theft.