Interview with an identity thief
A short interview with an identity thief makes some interesting points. It explains the way this gang obtained false credentials, duped retail stores into selling them goods and then fenced the goods to generate cash. The fraudster being interviewed is described as an innocuous looking old man:
This kind of brazen fraud naturally relies upon fooling even fairly alert checkout staff, and in large stores with multiple checkouts, the fraudster often has the choice of who to dupe.
Upon initially meeting Grandpa, my "police radar" failed to go off because by all physical accounts, Grandpa appeared to be unassuming and anything but your stereotypical criminal. Having dealt with criminals of all shapes and sizes and knowing better than to discriminate in such a fashion, a 5'10" lanky and elderly bald white male, dressed in a white t-shirt, sweatpants, and sandals, just translated to me as an elderly harmless man.
This kind of brazen fraud naturally relies upon fooling even fairly alert checkout staff, and in large stores with multiple checkouts, the fraudster often has the choice of who to dupe.