loading...

Running a nation-wide toy theft scam isn't exactly "child's play," as these two stupid criminals found out.

A mother-son team stole nearly $2 million worth of toys from Toys  R Us stores all across the nation. They probably would've gotten away with it too, if Junior hadn't decided to use his Toys R Us rewards card on every single purchase.

Michael and Margaret Pollara visited 139 Toys R Us in 27 states, including California, Hawaii and New York, buying nearly $7,000 worth of small-ticket items to fuel their scam, according to the affidavit. Authorities were able to track Michael Pollara's purchases across the country because he used a Toys R Us rewards card for all of his purchases.

Authorities said the Pollaras trolled stores looking for inexpensive toys that came in large boxes. They then emptied out the contents and filled the large box with more expensive toys, including $150 Lego sets and Leapster Pads, worth $99 apiece. The pair would hide the cheap contents somewhere around the store and pay for the inexpensive large box filled with more expensive goodies. Seventy-year-old Margaret Pollara often worked as a lookout, according to the arrest report.

According to authorities, Micheal Pollara had accumulated nearly $900,000 in his eBay and PayPal accounts as a result of the scam. Both Pollara and his mother were arrested last week and they now face a large number of charges.

Hate to break it to you buddy, but all those reward points you got aren't going to do you much good if you're stuck in a jail cell.

More From News/Talk 95.1 & 790 KFYO