A monthslong investigation into a suspected retail fraud operation has led to the arrest of two Glendale residents accused of orchestrating a scheme involving counterfeit returns of high-end merchandise, authorities said Thursday.
The investigation began earlier this year when store employees at luxury retailer Nordstrom flagged suspicious return activity at a Glendale location to the Glendale Police Department.
According to investigators, the scheme came to light in February when an employee identified a customer attempting to return what appeared to be a counterfeit item. Then in March, Nordstrom’s internal investigation team alerted police to a broader pattern of fraudulent transactions.
Authorities allege that the two Glendale residents, Arpineh Sarkisian and Argin Gharapetian, began carrying out the operation in 2019. The pair purchased authentic designer goods online, including…
Cyber fraud uses technology as the primary weapon. It is highly scalable and can be conducted from anywhere in the world.
- Phishing/Smishing/Vishing: Using deceptive emails (phishing), text messages (smishing), or phone calls (vishing) to trick victims into clicking malicious links or revealing sensitive data.
- Business Email Compromise (BEC): A high-value scam where a criminal impersonates a CEO or high-level executive via a “spoofed” email address to trick a staff member into making an urgent, unauthorized wire transfer.