A 49-year-old Douglas woman who was just arrested on July 27 on a shoplifting charge is back in jail, this time for allegedly using stolen debit card information to make nearly $1,000 in online purchases.
According to a report from the Douglas Police Department, on August 5, 2024, a police officer responded to Coffee Regional Medical Center to meet with the complainant who believed he was the victim of financial card transaction fraud. The victim showed the officer four different transactions that were made on his cards without his consent. The report says that three purchases were made on a VISA card from an online site called Support Pets: $87, $107.99, and $299. A fourth purchase was made on an Ameris Bank VISA debit card from Walmart.com in the amount of $491.36. All purchases were made on August 3.
Officers saw that the Walmart order was sent to a room at the Econolodge to a Rae Graham. They soon realized that was an alias used by Heather Rae Lankford, 49, of Douglas. The victim stated that he and Heather had worked together at the hospital at one time and that is where he figured she had gotten his card information.
Officers went to the Econolodge and found Lankford. She gave officers consent to search her phone and they found the victim’s card information in her Walmart Wallet app. She was arrested on four counts of financial card transaction fraud and taken to the Coffee County Jail where she remains.
On July 27, 2024, Lankford was arrested on shoplifting charges. She was booked into the jail and released. She was also arrested on June 4, 2024, after her ex-husband found an insurance policy she had taken out on him without his knowledge. The discovery of the policy caused him to fear for his safety. She had also allegedly used his personal information to apply for a VISA card and file a tax return. Lankford was charged with one count of insurance fraud in connection with that incident.