Two men were arrested and charged for altering gift cards at two Target stores in Virginia as part of a “complex fraud ring,” according to Fairfax County police.
Police were contacted by the Target store in the Springfield Town Center about two men who they believed were altering gift cards in their store on Dec. 20, according to a Thursday news release from police.
Target said that the same men were seen altering gift cards earlier in the day at a Target store in Manassas, according officers from the Franconia Police District.
Rongjie He, 32, and Kaihua Chen, 27, both of California, were arrested by police while stocking the cards and both were in possession of altered Target gift cards, police said.
The men are suspected of linking the cards to an outside account that takes the money from a “would-be buyer” and deposits the funds into fraudulent accounts instead of the buyer’s account, police said.
Police said they searched the vehicle that the suspects were driving and found just under 1,000 altered gift cards and “evidence of a larger fraud ring in the region and extending into states across the country.”
Rongjie He was charged with ten felony counts of obtaining money by false pretense, credit card theft and two counts of conspiracy to commit larceny. He has since been released on bond, police said.
Chen was charged with four felony counts of obtaining money by false pretense, nine counts of credit card theft, and two counts of conspiracy to commit larceny. Chen is currently being held on no bond, police said.
When buying gift cards, police say you should inspect the packaging for any signs of tampering and look for broken seals or loose corners on the packaging. The department also advised consumers to check that the activation sticker hasn’t been peeled off or replaced.
Police have asked anyone with information regarding these suspects or this fraud ring to contact the Franconia District Station at 703-922-0889. Anonymous tipsters are eligible for a cash reward.
