Joe Arpaio Ripped Off For $291 In Apparent Credit Card Fraud

Joe Arpaio Targeted By Credit Card Fraudsters?
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio speaks with the media talking about the Sheriff's new program providing security around schools in his jurisdiction, at Anthem Elementary School Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013, Phoenix. The plan sends volunteer posse members outside some school in metro Phoenix to provide extra security in response to last month's shooting in Connecticut that left 26 people dead inside an elementary school. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio speaks with the media talking about the Sheriff's new program providing security around schools in his jurisdiction, at Anthem Elementary School Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013, Phoenix. The plan sends volunteer posse members outside some school in metro Phoenix to provide extra security in response to last month's shooting in Connecticut that left 26 people dead inside an elementary school. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Not even the nation's self-proclaimed "toughest" lawman is immune to credit card fraud.

Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his wife were contacted by a Discover Card representative over the weekend, who informed them that their card number had been used to ring up a $291 bill at a Chicago grocery store, AZFamily.com reports.

The Maricopa County sheriff said he hadn't been to the Windy City since he married his wife there in 1957.

"I'm sure I didn't make the purchase so it could've been done by, what do you call it, skimmers making copies, or through the Internet, many different ways," Arpaio told Arizona's KPHO, suggesting that whoever was guilty of the crime hadn't targeted him in particular. "I don't think I'm the only victim around, there's many, many more I presume."

Arpaio has since canceled the card. He even told KPHO that he'd go easy on the perpetrators if it turned out that they stole his information because they were "struggling."

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has its own complicated history with misuse of credit cards. In 2010, the Arizona Republic reported that high-level officials in the department routinely charged lavish meals and stays at luxury hotels to their county-issued credit cards without ever reimbursing the expenses.

Before You Go

Maricopa County Employees Call Latinos Derogatory Names

DOJ Lawsuit Allegations Against Arpaio

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