“SHOCKING NEWS: Influencer Arrested for Scamming Target by Hacking Payment Barcodes, Flaunting Stolen Merchandise on TikTok”.hienca

 

Marlena Velez.

A Florida content creator was arrested last week after allegedly being caught shoplifting — in her own video.

Marlena Velez, 22, was arrested Wednesday, Nov. 21, in connection with a theft reported at a Cape Coral, Fla., Target in October, the Cape Coral Police Department said in a statement.

Per the police statement, Target alleged that the suspect picked up several items on sale, and instead of scanning those items, she scanned barcodes of different, cheaper items at self-checkout.

The stolen goods included 16 articles of household items and clothing, totaling $500.32 in value, police said.

Marlena Velez in her TikTok video. Cape Coral Police Dept.

When Cape Coral police released security footage of the suspect, officials say they received an anonymous tip that led them to Velez’s Instagram and TikTok.

 

Her TikTok account has 356,000 followers, but her Instagram account appears to have been taken down.

Investigators say they matched the security footage of her with the outfits and activities seen in a post on TikTok she made the same day as the theft.

In her TikTok video, snippets of which were shared by Cape Coral police, Velez is seen picking up several items, including a Stanley mug, a mini cosmetics bag and a milk-and-cookies set. She then films herself filling up her trunk with several shopping bags. The video is no longer available on Velez’s TikTok.

 

Marlena Velez. Cape Coral Police Dept.

Velez billed herself as a mom vlogger posting about home decor and fashion, starting back in 2020. In one September 2023 TikTok video, she speaks about her high income — earning, from just one video, the equivalent of what her boyfriend earns in a month.

“If i have any advice it’s just to keep posting. keep posting anything and everything. who cares if it gets 20 views just post it. stop waiting for the ‘right time’ once you believe in yourself so will others,” she wrote in part of the caption, adding: “there are so many opportunities you may be passing up because you’re scared to pick up that camera and film content!”

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Velez has been charged with one count of petty theft. Online court records show Velez has been released on bond, but did not indicate any information about an attorney or plea.