Gift card scammers linked to nationwide theft ring busted in Florida: MCSO
STUART, Fla. - A couple of suspected scammers with links to the Bay Area have been arrested in South Florida after deputies said they were tampering with gift cards.
According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, an employee at an area grocery store called authorities when they noticed Caoyuan Liu and Lingham Chen tampering with a gift card display earlier this week.
When deputies arrived and questioned the pair, they said they learned the duo were suspects in a major theft ring operating in the state and nationwide.
Deputies say part of the scam involves replacing new cards with cards stolen from other locations. The suspects scratch off the cards' account seals to record the numbers before placing them back and resealing the packages. They then go to another location and put those cards among the new cards. When a customer purchases the card, they are unaware that it has been tampered with until it is activated and the account balance shows zero.
The couple has been in Florida since April but is linked to cases in Manatee, Sarasota, and Lee Counties, as well as in North Port. Investigators believe they have also targeted stores in Orlando, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Naples, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami.
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Detectives are urging anyone who purchases a gift card to inspect it at the counter to ensure that the package shows no signs of tampering.
Check to confirm that the account number and PIN code have not been scratched off. If there are even minor signs of tampering, such as a torn or resealed package, do not buy it and report it to the clerk.
Lingham Chen and Caoyuan Liu mugshots. Courtesy: Martin County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies say Liu and Chen are both from China.
Liu is undocumented, while Chen is in the U.S. on a student visa, according to MCSO.
Both are being held at the Martin County Jail, and immigration detainers have been placed on them.
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