(FOX40.COM) — A Chinese national who is accused of being a part of an international crime ring was arrested with over 6,000 fraudulent gift cards, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
Yubo Tian, 37, was one of nearly 400 people arrested or cited by SCSO during a 5-day retail theft operation. Deputies said Tian was observed “acting suspiciously” near the gift cards in the payment aisles in a Sacramento Target store. He was seen replacing the gift cards with another set of seemingly identical ones, according to SCSO. Tian was arrested and deputies said they discovered 6,300 gift cards from Target and Apple in his possession.
SCSO said further investigation revealed that Tian was part of an international scam involving tampered gift cards, scanning the bar code, and stealing money from the gift card as money was loaded. Victims are reportedly unaware it is happening, and the money is often siphoned to an off-shore account within seconds. Deputies said the operation spanned across California and several states nationwide.
“Tian was transported and booked into the Sacramento County Jail, only to be released by the courts on his own recognizance days later,” SCSO said. “Tian has no ties to Sacramento and admittedly entered the country illegally using a commonly used trafficker route through Central America and Mexico.”
The sheriff’s office urges residents to be cautious when purchasing physical gift cards from any retailer.
“Be observant of any signs of tampering, especially scuff marks or scratches near the bar code on the back of the card,” SCSO said. “These operations are very sophisticated, and modifications to gift cards are often virtually undetectable, even by the trained eye.”
Detectives suspect Tian has done this at many stores. The incident is under investigation and anyone with information is advised by law enforcement to contact the Sheriff’s Office at (916) 874-5115 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP (4357).
Veronica Catlin
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