Man uses fraudulent credit cards to steal high-end bikes, police say

CLERMONT, Fla. — Bike stores across the state are on high alert after a suspected thief has been hitting stores for high-end bikes.

A store owner contacted the Clermont Police Department after he said a man used a fraudulent credit card to buy a $27,000 bike.

Another store owner said he believes the same man got away with a $10,000 bike at his store.

Trek Clermont owner Bryan Davis said his sales associate tried to help the man when he came in to "purchase" a bike.

Davis said the man used a Louisiana driver's license, swiped his card and tried to use Google Pay.

When that didn't work the sales associate entered the card number manually. Davis said that was the big mistake. The customer walked out with his new bike and was gone.

"Within 24 hours, we received a call from a woman in New Jersey who indicated it was her credit card information that was stolen," Davis said.

Davis said he took to social media. He posted on bicycle forums and received messages from other shops that said the same thing happened at their stores.

A dozen retailers from across the state said the same thing happened to them.

Davis reported it and provided surveillance video to Clermont police. He suspects whoever is behind this has a truck to transport the bikes and is likely selling them on the black market.

"My guess, one of two things. They're either being exported out of the country and sold someplace else or another area of the country," Davis said.

Contact the Clermont Police Department if you have any information regarding the stolen bikes.

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