Family-Run Camera Store Conned Out of $34K Worth of Gear
A small camera shop in Wisconsin has lost more than $30,000 worth of equipment after being hit by the same rental scam twice within days.
Impulse, a family-run camera store in Oak Creek, Milwaukee County, say that two separate individuals walked off with high-value camera gear after posing as legitimate customers.
According to a report by FOX 6, the men rented more than $34,000 in cameras and lenses and failed to return any of it, leaving the business in a difficult position as it heads into the holiday season.
Although neither man came back with the gear, both were recorded on the shop’s surveillance system as they rented the gear. Oak Creek Police Department has released still images taken from that footage and is asking the public to help identify the men suspected of defrauding Impulse.
The first individual visited the store on November 13, and the second arrived four days later, on November 13. Travis Garski, who owns Impulse with his brother, said each interaction appeared normal at the time. Garski explained that both men claimed to be working for established photography companies, presented identification, and used credit cards that initially processed without issue.
“They were like, ‘Yeah, I have like three photo shoots lined up this weekend,’” Garski tells FOX 6.
Together, the men rented four cameras and five lenses. But when the scheduled return dates arrived, Garski says he discovered that neither individual could be reached.
“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,” he explains.
Garski tells the news outlet that he then contacted the companies the men said they worked for.
“They responded right back to us immediately saying, ‘I’m sorry, this is not me,'” Garski says.
For the small business, the loss is significant. With the holiday period approaching, the store is juggling day-to-day operations while trying to recover financially. Garski said his main concern now is preventing similar incidents elsewhere.
“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.”
With a large portion of its rental stock missing, Impulse has begun selling T-shirts bearing the phrase “Smile! You’re on camera” to help generate some income. The store has also launched a GoFundMe campaign to support its recovery.
Oak Creek police continue to search for the two suspects and are encouraging anyone with information to call 414-766-7627.
Image credits: Header photo via GoFundMe.
