Only On 2: Local Jewelry Store Latest Victim Of Alleged Nationwide Con Man

SANTA ANA (CBSLA)  –   A local jewelry store owner is the latest victim of an alleged con man who is working his way across the nation.

It's a story that is Only On 2.

CBS2's Michele Gile explains how the con man keeps getting away with the scam.

One day is all the alleged scammer spent in the Orange County Jail before bailing out.

Teri Chambers, owner of the local jewelry store is speaking out, she said, to warn any other store owners who might be victims of the scams of Daniel Case.

"It was a $10,000 sale and it went through, just like normal," said Chambers of San Juan Capistrano.

She went on to check him out on Facebook. They even sent him a thank you note.

But little did Chambers know was that she was the victim of an elaborate scheme to rip her off. He used a fraudulent credit card.

She fears there are dozens of other victims who have lost thousands of dollars.

"You know, it's horrible and he keeps going out there and he has his child with him," she says. "He's hit several stores that are not as lucky as I am. I'm sure there are hundreds of them."

Sheriff's Deputies arrested Case for felony burglary a few weeks ago.  Officials said he was using a phony international debit card to buy $42,000 worth of one of a kind pieces.

Today, Case is a free man after bailing out of jail on Halloween.

Court files show a criminal rap sheet on Case going back to 1996 There are drug charges, identify theft, stolen property, and passing bad checks.

As a merchant, Chambers thought she was protected from this kind of fraud but she quickly found out that wasn't true.

Even though the charge went through Chambers said there was nothing suspicious about the transaction.

"[The card] looks like a good card. We  put it through and like I said, it went chicka chicka, chicka. And you sign your name and we think it's a good card."

Days later her bank told her the charge is no good.  She was out thousands.  Chambers has heard from other other Orange County businesses that Case may have used the same bad card to buy expensive watches and even a car..

Chambers told Gile she feels lucky because she got most of her jewelry back.  She is, however, also responsible for the bank  fees to cover all those bad charges.