As the holiday season rolls in with festive cheer and gift-giving, a less jubilant story unfolds in Martin and St. Lucie Counties, where a duo has been arrested over a gift card scam. According to the Martin County Sheriff's Office, Cao Yuan Liu, 21, and Lingham Chen, 25, face charges for tampering with gift cards at multiple Publix locations. TCPalm reports that the suspects were caught scratching off the seals of gift cards and recording the numbers before replacing them with new cards in the display.
Their alleged scam left consumers buying cards with zero balances, a scheme recognized as part of a broader, national theft ring operation. According to an employee from a Martin County grocery store, who alerted the authorities after witnessing the couple tamper with the cards, Liu and Chen have been at this practice for some time. After, they seized gift cards from Sephora and Home Depot littering Chen and Liu's apartment, raising immediate questions given the circumstances. WPTV reports that detectives have linked the pair to similar cases in Manatee, Sarasota, Lee, and North Port, as well as larger cities like Orlando and Miami.
Liu, who is currently undocumented, and Chen, in the U.S. on a student visa, are now being held without bond at the Martin County Jail. "Detectives are urging consumers to inspect any gift card they buy to make sure the code has not been scratched off and the packaging hasn't been tampered with," according to WPTV.
Authorities urge the public to be cautious, especially during the holiday season when gift card sales rise. If a gift card appears tampered with, customers should avoid buying it and report it to a store clerk. The investigation is still ongoing, and no information about the accused has been released, raising concerns for those unknowingly affected.
