Two individuals from Southern California were arrested in Santa Clara County last weekend for allegedly running a scam involving tampered retail gift cards, according to police reports.
On August 17, officers responded to a tip regarding a man placing tampered gift cards on a store display for unsuspecting customers. The man was identified as Jian Chen, 45, from Rosemead, Los Angeles County.
Bifen Xie, 32, from Riverside, Riverside County, was reportedly waiting in a car while Chen exchanged the altered gift cards, police said.
Authorities revealed that Chen and Xie had stolen empty gift cards to capture the card numbers and PIN information before returning them to retail stores. A subsequent search of their vehicle uncovered over 500 gift cards from various retailers, including Home Depot, Apple, and Amazon.
According to police, once money is loaded onto a tampered gift card, the scammers can quickly drain its balance before the legitimate recipient has a chance to use it.
Both Chen and Xie were arrested and booked at Santa Clara County Jail in San Jose on charges of obtaining money under false pretenses and conspiracy. During the investigation, Chen matched the description of a suspect in a similar crime in the City of Santa Clara.
In May, a regional retail theft task force apprehended two suspected Chinese nationals in Ventura County for allegedly executing a similar gift card scam.
Campbell police have provided the following tips to help the public avoid falling victim to such scams:
- Purchase gift cards online to reduce the risk of physical alteration.
- Inspect gift cards thoroughly before buying them.
- Avoid purchasing cards that display signs of tampering.
- Retain the receipt with the gift card; in some cases of fraud, retailers may be able to refund your money.
- Use gift cards as soon as possible to minimize the chance of scammers draining the balance.