KULPMONT, Pa. — Pennsylvania State Police at Stonington have charged two Brooklyn, New York, men in connection with a phone scam that cost a Northumberland County resident thousands of dollars.
According to criminal complaints, Jianxin Lin, 36, and Xuejie Lin, 34, are accused of orchestrating a gift card fraud scheme that targeted a Kulpmont man, John Bobber. Warrants for their arrest were issued earlier this month.
Investigators allege Bobber was contacted by phone in July by someone claiming his bank account had been compromised. The caller instructed him to purchase gift cards to safeguard his funds. Following the instructions, Bobber bought 12 gift cards totaling $5,000 from Walmart, Weis Markets and CVS, then provided the card details over the phone.
State police said the stolen funds were later used to buy soft drinks and household items such as disinfecting wipes and paper towels. The purchases were allegedly tied to resale operations connected to the suspects in New York, North Carolina and Georgia.
The Lins were identified through an investigation involving loss prevention teams at Walmart and Sam’s Club, police said.
Both men face multiple charges, including possession and use of counterfeit devices, theft, receiving stolen property and corrupt organizations.
