FORT SMITH - A warrant has been issued in Fort Smith charging a former Florida woman with theft, accusing her of participating in a scam called till tapping, a police news release said.
The warrant was issued against Linda Marie Owens, 56, who purportedly is associated with the Owens-Mihaj till-tap family in connection with the theft from several Fort Smith grocery stores last August.
She is currently wanted in 14 states including Arkansas, according to the news release.
Warrants were expected to be issued against Owens in Fayetteville and Springdale in connection with thefts there that resulted in the loss of more than $4,400.
According to the news release, teams of two or three would seek out younger or inexperienced-looking employees working the cash register in a store. Speaking a foreign language, the person would try to make a purchase, appear confused and gesture at the larger denominations of money in the cash drawer.
If the clerk removes the money from the drawer, the tapper will take the cash, keeping it in view, and spread it around like a deck of cards. The tapper then would separate the cash into stacks, but would secretly conceal a portion of the money before giving it back to the cashier.
Other members of the group would distract or block the view of patrons or other employees while the scam is going on.
The group is highly mobile and its current location is unknown, the release said. Merchants who encounter the group members are encouraged not to confront them for safety reasons but to contact local law enforcement.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 14 on 03/28/2014