$14 million stolen in gift card scam; 3 arrested in North Texas, officials say

Three men suspected of a $14 million gift card fraud scheme were arrested and booked into the Dallas County jail, officials said.

Kristians Petrovskis, Romunds Cubrevics and Nurmunds Ulevicus face charges of fraudulent possession of gift cards, officials said.

According to a news release from the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center, the men were suspected of gift card cloning and had more than 400 gift cards in their possession, Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV reported.

The scheme involves stealing unactivated gift cards from store kiosks, opening the packaging to copy the card’s electronic number, then resealing the package and placing the cards back on store displays, authorities said in the release.

The thieves check the balance when a customer purchases a card and loads funds onto it, then drain the card of funds before the customer can use it, officials said.

Customers are urged to closely examine gift card packaging for any excess glue or damage to the packaging, authorities said.

The thieves, who are linked to the thefts in Dallas-Fort Worth, Central Texas and the Gulf Coast, told investigators they typically stole 10 gift cards a day every day since May, the release stated.