1. Popular gift card scam arrest in California
2. Gilbert Police report California man arrested for gift card fraud.
Accident – Death – Obituary News : GILBERT, AZ (AZFamily) — A man from Southern California has been apprehended in Gilbert on numerous forgery charges related to a gift card cloning scam that has plagued the Valley for years. The suspect, identified as Chuandao Yu, 44, was caught by Gilbert police after workers at the Fry’s Food Store off Pecos and Higley roads raised suspicions about his activities.
According to court documents acquired by Arizona’s Family, store employees alerted authorities after observing Yu engaging in what appeared to be “restocking gift cards” despite not being an employee. Upon arrival, officers discovered Yu in possession of a box filled with gift cards, which he promptly surrendered. Subsequent searches of his vehicle led to the discovery of another box containing over 2,000 gift cards from various retailers.
Surveillance footage reviewed by detectives showed Yu tampering with numerous cards before placing them back on the store shelves. Each compromised card was identified during the investigation, highlighting the extent of the fraudulent activity. This incident is part of a larger trend of gift card cloning scams that have drawn the attention of Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.
Mayes, who has made combating these scams a top priority, previously warned of the prevalence of such crimes, stating, “They’re literally taking the cards off the shelf. They’re going and cloning the cards, and putting them back on the shelf, and once someone buys the card, at that moment, it gets drained of the money.”
Yu, who had a prior fraud-related arrest in Florida, exercised his right to remain silent and requested legal representation while in custody with the Gilbert Police Department. He now faces 65 counts of forgery, each classified as a felony, and is being held at the Maricopa County jail on a cash-only bond of $50,000.
This latest arrest underscores the ongoing battle against gift card fraud in the region, with law enforcement agencies and retail establishments working together to combat this widespread criminal activity. As investigations continue, authorities urge consumers to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour related to gift card purchases to prevent falling victim to similar scams..
– California man arrested in popular gift card scam
– Gilbert Police say California man arrested in gift card scam.
