OAK CREEK, Wis. – An Oak Creek camera shop was swindled not once, but twice, in a matter of days.
What they’re saying:
The owners of Impulse said two men rented more than $34,000 worth of equipment, then ghosted them – but surveillance captured them inside the store.
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One man came in on Nov. 13, the other on Nov. 17. Travis Garski, who owns the store with his brother, said everything seemed legit.
“They were like, ‘Yeah, I have like three photo shoots lined up this weekend,’” said owner Travis Garski.
Surveillance video of men at Impulse in Oak Creek
Garski said the men claimed to work for legitimate photography companies, showed identification, and their credit cards went through to pay for rental fees.
The men rented four cameras and five lenses between the two of them. But when it was time to bring the rented equipment back, Garski said both men were gone in a flash.
“The number was disconnected, I couldn’t charge the card anymore, and as I started to look into the person, all the information seemed to be fake,” said Garski.
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Garski said he also contacted the companies the men claimed to work for.
“They responded right back to us immediately saying, ‘I’m sorry, this is not me,'” he said.
Why you should care:
It’s a big hit for a family business right before the holidays. Garski said he hopes to get the equipment back, but more than anything, he wants to protect other stores.
“We don’t have finances like that because we’re very small, it’s just me and my brother, so it set us back quite a bit,” he said. “I don’t want them to hit any other stores like this again.”
What you can do:
Oak Creek police said they are looking for the two suspects and ask the public to keep an eye out as well. Anyone with information should call 414-766-7627.
Without a good chunk of its equipment to rent out, Impulse is selling T-shirts that say “Smile! You’re on camera” as they hope to make some money to stay afloat. They also started a GoFundeMe online fundraiser.
The Source: FOX6 News interviewed Garski, referenced the surveillance video and reached out to the Oak Creek Police Department.
