Miami assistant police chief targeted by credit card thieves

'We're not immune to being victims just because we wear the badge,' he says

MIAMI – Assistant Chief Manuel Morales, of the Miami Police Department, was recently targeted by a pair of credit card thieves, authorities announced Friday.

According to police, Morales received a text notification Feb. 5 regarding two suspicious purchases on his Visa credit card.

One charge had been made at the Bed Bath & Beyond at 3301 Coral Way at 7:41 p.m. and the other was made at a PetSmart next door at 7:48 p.m.

Authorities said Morales had his credit card in his possession during that timeframe.

Detectives from the Miami Police Department's economic crimes unit later obtained surveillance video from both stores that shows a man and a woman using the cloned credit cards.

Morales told Local 10 News the incident shows that even when you think you're being careful, this can happen to anyone and he hopes spreading the word can help prevent other people from falling victim to credit card fraud. 

"We're not immune to being victims just because we wear the badge," Morales said. "I mean, we do feel a level of empathy with the victims in the community we serve, because most of us have been victims at one point or another. Unfortunately, we have seen this trend of economic crimes just exponentially grow in the last few years."

Anyone with information about their identities is asked to call the Miami Police Department at 305-603-6280. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.


About the Authors:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.

Saira Anwer joined the Local 10 News team in July 2018. Saira is two-time Emmy-nominated reporter and comes to South Florida from Madison, Wisconsin, where she was working as a reporter and anchor.