Two Chinese nationals were sentenced to more than 12 months imprisonment for their involvement in a gift card scheme directed at Target shoppers across the Midwest.
Hongying Wang, 53, and Guangwei Gao, 38, pleaded guilty to one felony count of using and trafficking in a counterfeit access device. The pair have been incarcerated since Jan. 21, 2023, and so have served their full prison time.
“The defendants placed fake gift cards onto sales racks with the intention of stealing the loaded funds once purchased by patrons,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “The investigation took a coordinated effort, and I commend the law enforcement officials contributed to this case.”
According to court documents, Wang, Gao, or others working with them, retained the access numbers to 6,100 gift cards with the intent to place the altered gift cards on the sales racks at Target.
Help support the Tampa Free Press by making any small donation by clicking here.
Once a gift card was loaded with funds by an unsuspecting patron, the fraudsters would have the codes needed to steal the funds.
In January 2023, a Target security officer observed Wang and Gao placing gift cards onto the racks in the Belleville store for customers to purchase.
Upon further review, the gift cards were altered, with the codes scratched off and covered by stickers to appear untouched.
“The gift card scheme concocted by these two defendants had the potential to steal money from anyone,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP special agents will thoroughly investigate cases to hold people accountable and protect the public.”
Read: Florida Mom Arrested After Killing Her 3-Year-Old Twins, Then Jumping From Bridge Onto Train Tracks
In addition to Belleville, the following Target locations were knowingly affected by the scheme: Albuquerque, New Mexico; Norman, Oklahoma; Edmond, Oklahoma; Liberty, Missouri; Independence, Missouri; St. Peters, Missouri; Town and Country, Missouri; and Brentwood, Missouri.
Help support the Tampa Free Press by making any small donation by clicking here.
Android Users, Click To Download The Tampa Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our free newsletter.