Campbell police warn public against tampered gift card scams

Campbell police warned the public against tampered gift card scams after two people were arrested last weekend for allegedly placing altered gift cards on a store stand.

According to police, their officers were alerted on Saturday that a man was putting tampered gift cards on a store stand for customers to buy. As the man, identified as 45-year-old Rosemead resident Jian Chen, was placing the cards, a woman waited in a car as Chen allegedly exchanged the altered gift cards.

The woman was identified as Bifeng Xie, 32, of Riverside. Police alleged that Chen and Xie had stolen empty gift cards to retrieve card numbers and pin information before replacing them inside stores.

Police said that a search of Chen and Xie's vehicle led to the discovery of over 500 gift cards to various retailers such as Home Depot, Apple, and Amazon.

Both suspects were arrested and booked into Santa Clara County jail on suspicion of obtaining money under false pretenses and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Police said that they learned Chen also matched a suspect description for the same suspected crime out of Santa Clara.

"When a customer unknowingly loads money onto tampered gift cards, the scammers are able to drain the card's balance before the recipient has a chance to use it. As these gift card scams become increasingly popular, we want to remind our community how they can protect themselves from falling victim to these scams," police said.

To avoid such scams, police advise the following:

• Buy gift cards online to limit possibility of physical alteration.
• Inspect gift cards before purchasing them.
• Do not purchase any cards that show signs of tampering.
• Keep the receipt with the gift card: in some cases of gift card scams, retailers may be able to offer the money back.
• Use gift cards as soon as possible: using gift cards timely limit the opportunity for scammers to drain the card's balance.