Financial Crimes Investigators Crack Down on Alleged Return Fraud Scheme
Nordstrom busts $300K return fraud scheme after seven years of scams
Financial crimes investigators arrested two Glendale residents for an alleged years-long return fraud scheme that cost the local Nordstrom at least $50,000.
The Glendale Police Department said suspects Arpineh Sarkisian and Argin Gharapetian carried out the scheme since 2019. Detectives said the pair purchased 224 high-end items online, including designer clothing, cosmetics and handbags. Working with Nordstrom, Glendale police determined that the suspects allegedly kept the merchandise and returned counterfeit versions to the department store and its distribution center.
Detectives said evidence suggested that they resold the authentic items online.
Officers said Sarkisian and Gharapetian continued the scheme until a Nordstrom employee clocked a counterfeit item one of the suspects tried to return in February 2026.
While Nordstrom has confirmed a loss of about $50,000, it believes Sarkisian and Gharapetian scammed it out of more than $300,000.
The department store reported the suspects to Glendale PD in March 2026. About a month later, detectives served search warrants at their home and located a large quantity of high-end designer clothing, purses, shoes, and cosmetics.
They said they also found counterfeit items, merchandise tags, and identifiable stolen property.
Sarkisian and Gharapetian were arrested for several charges, including grand theft. They are due back in court in August 2026.
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