STUART, Fla. (CBS12) — Two individuals have been arrested in connection with a large-scale gift card scam that has affected several counties across Florida. The couple, identified as Caoyan Liu and Lingham Chen, are accused of being involved in a nationwide theft ring that has defrauded victims of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), an alert grocery store employee noticed the couple tampering with a gift card display. Deputies arrived at the scene and questioned the suspects, uncovering that they were part of a larger criminal operation spanning multiple states.
Liu and Chen, who had been in Florida since April, are linked to similar cases in counties including Manatee, Sarasota, and Lee. Investigators believe the couple also targeted stores in cities like Orlando, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Naples, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami.
The scam involved replacing legitimate gift cards with stolen ones. The suspects would scratch off the seals on the cards to record the account numbers before resealing the packages. They would then return the altered cards to the display, where unsuspecting customers would purchase them. By the time the cards were activated, the balance would already be depleted.
MCSO officials have urged customers to carefully inspect gift cards before purchasing, checking for signs of tampering, such as torn or resealed packaging. They also recommend confirming that the account number and PIN have not been scratched off.
Further investigation revealed that both Liu and Chen are from China. Liu is undocumented, while Chen is in the U.S. on a student visa. The suspects are currently being held at the Martin County Jail, with immigration detainers placed on them.