Target Store in Virginia has been Hit by a Gift Card "draining" Scam

Two men were shown in a "be on the lookout" message sent to Target workers by loss prevention staff. Then, just before Christmas, court records show that the two of them went to a Springfield, Virginia, Target shop. After getting a call, a police officer from Fairfax County went to the store and saw the guys hanging dozens of changed gift cards from a rack.

Police said they found hundreds more gift cards in the men's car when they searched it. Nearly a thousand items were taken away by police.

The men are being blamed for a scam that has been going around the country lately. Thieves steal gift cards from shops, change them or get their information, and then put them back on the racks. This type of theft is often called "card draining." The amount is quickly used up when a customer buys one and uses it.

Gift Card "draining" ScamPhoto bynypost

"We are aware of how common gift card fraud is and take this very seriously," said Kayla Castañeda, a spokesperson for Target. She said it's a problem that affects the whole business and makes shopping harder for people. She said that Target employees are told to keep an eye on the gift card racks and check cards often for signs of tampering.

When cops saw the men in the Springfield store on December 20, they had already been seen that day in a Manassas Target store. Court papers show that after the men were caught, investigators found that they had put 280 gift cards on the rack. Anyone could have bought one and used it, because the codes were scratched off. If they did, the money would have gone to the suspects' accounts.

Rongjie He was charged with several felonies, including getting money by lying, credit card theft, and planning to steal something, according to police. He is 32 years old and from California. Afterwards, he was freed on bond after being taken to a Fairfax County jail.

Kaihua Chen, 27, also from California, was charged with several felonies, including credit card theft, getting money by lying, and planning to steal. On Wednesday, he was still being held.

Both guys will have preliminary hearings in March at the Fairfax County General District Court. A lawyer for Chen did not answer right away when asked for a response. Online court records don't show that He has a lawyer.

Also, the records don't show if the men have made pleas. "There was proof that they were going after many Target stores in our area," said Sgt. Jacob Pearce, a spokesman for the Fairfax police.

Scams like this have been seen all over the country. This month, Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry (D) warned buyers in her state after it was said that card draining happened at a grocery store in eastern Pennsylvania.

Scammers have more chances to trick and steal from people who buy gift cards as gifts for their loved ones during the holidays, Henry said. "Be very careful when you look at the cards you buy, and keep your receipts just in case."

This month, police in Sacramento County, California, caught a man taking gift cards from a rack and putting them in his jacket. He then took those cards out and put in a set of cards that looked exactly the same. Soon, the police found that the man had more than 5,000 gift cards from Target and Apple.

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said in a statement, "Victims have no idea what is going on, and the money is often taken to an offshore account within seconds." The study "showed that the operation took place in California and several other states."

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