Maryland

Police: Charity Scammers Stole Laptops From Bethesda Apple Store

A man who said he was with a charity and an accomplice stole multiple laptops from the Apple store in Bethesda, Maryland, and police are still searching for them.

Montgomery County police distributed photos Tuesday that show the two suspects. 

A "talker" and a "taker" scammed the store out of the four MacBook Pro laptops on March 28, News4's Pat Collins reported.

The talker told a store employee about 8:40 p.m. that night that he wanted to buy the laptops for a charity, police said. He asked to inspect the computers, which start at $1,299 each.

As he distracted the clerk, a second man snatched the computers and ran out of the store.

"Clearly, they had a plan. Took a little convincing. They had a good line to get the employee engaged, and then, quickly, they went into action," police spokesman Capt. Paul Starks said.

Police sources say they are looking into the possibility the men pulled the same scam in Connecticut and New York. 

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Apple declined to comment on the crime.

Anyone who has information for police is asked to call 240-773-6710. Anonymous tips can be made by calling 866-411-TIPS. A reward of as much as $10,000 is offered.

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