BRAINTREE, Mass. – Two women are charged with stealing nearly 5,000 gift cards in connection with what police are calling a nationwide “gift card fraud ring.”
On Monday, Braintree police said they were alerted that two women were seen taking gift cards from the display shelf at the CVS on Grove Street.
Officers located the suspect vehicle and eventually discovered four bags full of gift cards from Apple, Nike, Sephora and Visa. In total, they seized 4,617 cards, the police said.
YanYan Liu and Na Dong, both of Flushing, New York, were arrested and charged with shoplifting and receiving stolen property.
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“It was clearly visible and immediately caught their attention,” said Deputy Chief Want.
Police said the fraud is happening across the country and that “criminals” are removing thousands of gift cards and then logging the card numbers, barcodes and corresponding PINs.
Then, police say, the fraudsters repackage the cards and put them back on store shelves.
“When an unsuspecting customer selects the compromised gift card and loads it with money at checkout, criminals regularly scan those cards and PIN numbers through a database, presumably spending the money online before the gift recipient does,” police said.
At this time, Braintree police have not heard from any victims. But they urge people to be very careful.
“It’s sad when people lose money at any time, but during the holiday season it’s even worse,” Want said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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