Gift card scams are a growing issue for consumers, especially during the holiday season. Recently, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office arrested two individuals, Caoyuan Liu and Lingham Chen, for their involvement in a national gift card fraud operation.
The arrests came after an employee at a Martin County grocery store tipped off authorities about a couple tampering with a gift card display. Liu and Chen’s scam involved scratching off the seals of gift cards, recording the account numbers, and resealing the cards. They would then swap the tampered cards with new, unaltered ones at other stores, leaving unsuspecting customers to purchase cards with empty balances.
Investigators believe the pair, who are originally from China and arrived in Florida in April, are connected to a larger national theft ring. Their fraud activities are linked to multiple counties in Florida, including Manatee, Sarasota, Lee, and North Port, as well as stores in Orlando, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Naples, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami.
Lingham Chen, who is in the U.S. on a student visa, and Caoyuan Liu, who is undocumented, are being held at the Martin County Jail. Immigration detainers have been placed on both individuals. Authorities are urging consumers to carefully inspect any gift card purchases to ensure that the packaging and codes are intact before buying.
