Posted on 12/08/2023 3:06:48 AM PST by Libloather
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office arrested hundreds of suspects accused of ripping off retail chains in a massive anti-theft operation, including disrupting a likely international gift card scam the office has never seen before.
"Retail theft in Sacramento County is out of control. Over the course of seven days, sheriff's detectives conducted an operation targeting thieves and large retailers throughout our region. This operation was an overwhelming success, but we can't fight this alone," Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper said in a video of the operation.
The sheriff’s office carried out "Operation Bad Elf" to curb retail theft at big shopping chains such as Target, Walgreens and Walmart from Nov. 27 to Dec. 3, which resulted in 285 felony and misdemeanor arrests. Deputies were also able to recover stolen merchandise "worth tens of thousands of dollars."
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Amar Gandhi told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that one of the busts included a Chinese national who was found to be in the possession of thousands of Target gift cards. Footage of the man’s arrest was included in the sheriff’s office video and shows the suspect in a Target parking lot as authorities surround him to make an arrest.
"That guy blew up like a pinata at a kid's birthday party, spilling out gift cards from his jacket," Gandhi told Fox News Digital in a phone call of what happened as deputies tackled the man.
The suspect, who was only identified as a Chinese national, is likely part of a larger operation in which people take legitimate gift cards off the shelves of stores and "surgically remove" the glue that covers the cards’ barcodes, Gandhi said. They then record the PINs, re-conceal the barcodes with glue, and return the cards to store shelves, the spokesperson explained...
(Excerpt) Read more at foxbusiness.com ...
Red Lobster takes on a whole new meaning.
This operation was an overwhelming success, but we can’t fight this alone.”
I got ripped off that way. They scratched off some of the numbers. I was told this happens a lot during Christmas time. The store knew about the technique of the scam and removed all gift cards after I told them. Not the renewable credit cards. The thieves must have hacked the supporting banks system to know when the gift card is bought and then activate it.
Kind of ironic - Chinese manage to loot without the riots and burnings that BLM and Antifa always add in....
Duped? The gifted genius's that run Hollywood and created Silicon Valley and the information age were not duped. This is of a set piece in which they were active and knowing participants. They have their Mazerattis and secluded estates in the hills. The peasants are revolting anyway.
Cops busted a Chinese national in possession of thousands
of Target gift cards, likely part of a larger operation in which
<><>thieves take legit gift cards off the shelves of stores,
<><>then “surgically remove” the glue that covers the cards’ barcodes,
<><>they then record the PINs,
<><>re-conceal the barcodes with glue, and return the cards to store shelves.
The thieves then apparently hack the supporting banks system
to know when the gift card is bought, and then activate it.
There is another ring of hell for that kind of activity.
Cops busted a Chinese national in possession of thousands
of Target gift cards, likely part of a larger operation in which
<><>thieves take legit gift cards off the shelves of stores,
<><>then “surgically remove” the glue that covers the cards’ barcodes,
<><>they then record the PINs,
<><>re-conceal the barcodes with glue, and return the cards to store shelves.
The thieves then apparently hack the supporting banks system
to know when the gift card is bought, and then activate it.Then, when an unsuspecting shopper loads one of the cards with funds, “that money goes straight into a Chinese bank account somewhere,” the spokesperson explained.
It’s going to go unreported because you are going to confront somebody who gave you a $0 gift card.
The crime has national and international implications and is not isolated to just Sacramento.
Let me get this right. Chinese thieves concoct and deploy a system to deceive the banks and receive funds. Those who annoy crash and steal their demanded reparations.
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