Ferndale Resident Allegedly Ripped Off By Temporary City Hall Employee

FERNDALE, MI — A 25-year-old Detroit woman is being held by Ferndale Police in connection with a case of identity theft involving a Ferndale resident. Police are seeking multiple felony counts against the woman, who they allege is responsible for several fraudulent credit card transactions.

The Detroit woman was working for the city of Ferndale as a temporary employee in customer service, police said in a news release. She was arrested Tuesday after arriving at work.

The Ferndale resident discovered the fraudulent charges on her credit card statement Saturday and reported it to police. After conducting an investigation, police allege that she gained access to the resident’s credit card information via her work at city hall.

“Safeguarding our community members’ private information is our absolute top concern and priority,” Ferndale City Manager April Lynch said. “Our primary goal right now is ensuring that a situation like this never happens again.”

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Lynch advised residents to contact the Ferndale Police Department if they believe their credit cards may have been used to make fraudulent charges.

“While we don’t have reason to believe that many others were affected, we’re serious about making sure our residents’ information is secure,” Lynch said.

According to Sgt. Baron Brown, there is no indication that this incident was related to a computer system breach.

“This appears to be directly related to an individual who manually copied credit card information,” Brown said. “If you did not use a credit card for payment of any fees, taxes, or permits at Ferndale City Hall within the last two months, detectives do not believe that your personal information has been compromised.”

Lynch said the city will be implementing a couple of strategic changes in the coming days and weeks. An upgraded credit card payment machine at city hall will allow customers to swipe cards, removing the need for staff to handle cards, Lynch said.

“We’ll also be upgrading the city’s surveillance system,” she added. “Detectives affirmed that footage from our surveillance cameras was essential to their investigation, and we want to make sure we stay on top of technology changes and keep our cameras functioning successfully.”

Ferndale uses temporary employment agencies periodically to fill temporary vacancies. Robert Half/Account Temps, the Detroit woman’s employer, is cooperating fully with the police department’s investigation.

File photo