FBI Interested in Large Prepaid Cell Phone Purchases

WTRF-TV ^ | 8/3/2006 | Sarah Kapis

[Ready2go]

FBI Interested in Large Prepaid Cell Phone Purchases Posted 8/3/2006 06:06 PM

Store clerks in Grafton say people have been coming into their stores and buying several phones at a time. Story by Sarah Kapis Email | Bio

Folks at the Dollar General in Grafton say in the past few days, several men have come into the store attempting to buy large numbers of prepaid phones. However, store policy only allows a customer to buy two phones at a time, in fact, they are locked away from the general public.

The clerks say after they were in the Dollar General, the men went to the Grafton Walmart to try to purchase more of the phones.

Grafton police found one man during a traffic stop. They say he had hundreds of prepaid phones in his car.

There is no word on what the men planned to do with the phones or why they bought so many, but the incident was later turned over to the FBI for an investigation.

The owner of Country Roads Communications says the allure of the prepaid phones is the freedom that come with them. However, the FBI is not ready to say that the phones are being used for illegal or criminal purposes.

"Prepaids are hard to track, so they're used alot for illegal operations," said Vince Cafazza.

"We are aware that there are a number of purchases throughout the state. Large purchases of trac phones. We are interested in the purchases because they are unusual," said Dan Caldwell, FBI special agent. "We also understand that a number of the larger stores in the area are aware of the purchases. We are not aware of any criminal activity associated with the purchases at this point."

Caldwell says if you notice someone trying to buy large quantities of these type of phones, you can contact your local police or the FBI.

[trussell]

It also could have been a person who supports the military, buying them to send to troops so they can call their loved ones. Wonder if anyone thought of that?

[Paul Ross]

It also could have been a person who supports the military, buying them to send to troops so they can call their loved ones. Wonder if anyone thought of that?

They can just buy pre-paid calling-cards. Right at the Post Office. Additional phones are totally unnecessary, since they are already ubiquitous in-theater.

So, another red-herring excuse goes down in flames. Still waiting to hear who and what these guys are. This should not be so hard for the MSM to report...except and unless their radicalized moral relativism and diversity agenda is paramount...and we know for them it is.

[Paul Ross]

I have a hard time understanding those who would risk the lives of others in order not to experience the slightest inconvenience of being asked a few questions or searched at large public events, at airports etc.

Bump. Ditto.

[2harddrive]

How do you KNOW you have not been investigated? Maybe they are monitoring your PC right now....!

[pyx]

I checked under my bed and there were no black helicopters. I can't seem to find a tin foil hat that fits properly or goes well with my he-man type tough guy chartreuse cape and neon pink fishnet stockings. Besides, I leave "them" to investigate people like ... YOU. They hide, you know. In all those Windoze .dll's that load when you start up your PC.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

It also could have been a person who supports the military, buying them to send to troops so they can call their loved ones.

If they are Tracfones they are useless outside the country.

They have a lock chip that prevents them from having prepaid minutes from any other company loaded in.

You also can not use them to call over seas or at least I have never been able to figure out how to make an international call with mine.

[OneLoyalAmerican]

Greetings Mrs. Ranger:

So much for the "dumb hillbilly" myth. ;)

Not hillbilly, Appalachian-American.

Cheers,
OLA

[Mrs. Ranger]

"Not hillbilly, Appalachian-American."

No, according to the "rules" of PC,ggg, since I was born and raised in WV, I *am* "entitled" to use the term "hillbilly" and make all the "hillbilly" jokes I want.:P

I'm damn proud of my heritage and learned long before there was such a thing as "PC" that by embracing the term and making it my own I was nullifying the "power" of those who attempt to use it in a derogatory fashion.:P

aka: Yep, I got "fetchins" too. ;)

[World'sGoneInsane]

I am not siding with terrorists, but this is America, land of the free, and all that. I want the damn government to leave me the hell alone.

It's not the government that is eroding your freedom, it is the terrorists. In the defense of our safety and freedom, people are getting searched, etc. It's not unwarranted. You are not the only one less free today, but as a society we are safer than we were on 9/11.

[Centurion2000]

I think it is a national security issue mostly!

You know ... after the terrorists' plot in London, the terrorists getting captured in the USA (6 of 11 so far) and the cellphone outage in NYC this afternoon .... I'm agreeing with you.

[A CA Guy]

Lots of these pre-paid phones seem to be coming into play.

Did you see the other thread about the bust of some Islamic character who was into terror who had 600+ prepaid phones on him?

Malkin article....

[Mrs. Ranger]

Well "Shucks and golly gee", read this one:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1681637/posts

Sound familiar? ;)

I'm heading for bed now. :)

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Hey there Mrs. R....this is getting really spooky. We keep hearing about the ones they are finding (they should have a new classification DWJ--Driving While Jihading) via traffic stops, but I worry of the ones that haven't been found. How many non-alert clerks have rung up multiple cell phone sales without giving it a second thought?

Yesterday, I read a thread about cell phone outages on Long Island...can't help but wonder if it was tied to other events of the day. Maybe that is the answer, just shut the networks down temporarily.

Thanks for the ping!