A California man is facing charges in a complex digital "tap-to-pay" identity theft scheme that struck multiple retailers across Wayne County, as reported by the Detroit News. Jian Wei Li, 40, of Hayward, is accused of committing over 25 fraudulent tap-to-pay transactions at various Meijer stores in the area, an investigation revealed, which began on November 11.
According to the Northville Police Department and Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, Li utilized mobile payment platforms such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay to make unauthorized purchases with stolen credit card information. He was allegedly connected to organized groups engaged in this illicit activity since May, moving the illicit goods out of state or overseas as detailed by ClickOnDetroit. The investigators were on his case for three days, throughout which Li is said to have attempted over 60 transactions using more than 40 different card numbers at various retailers, including Meijer, Best Buy, Speedway, Lululemon, Macy's, Home Depot, and Trader Joe’s locations across Metro Detroit.
Li's spree concluded on Nov. 18 when he was arrested, leaving a Best Buy store by the Michigan Attorney General's Focused Organized Crime Enforcement team and the regional police forces, as noted in a ClickOnDetroit report. This apprehension followed the execution of search warrants, which revealed a trove of gift cards, receipts for iPad purchases, and evidence of declined transactions in his hotel room.
In the aftermath of the arrest, Li, who was found lodging at a local hotel and driving a 2019 Mercedes SUV, was arraigned on three counts of identity theft carrying up to five years each, and his bond was set at $100,000, according to The Detroit News. He is scheduled for a probable cause conference on Dec. 1, during which time the case will be further examined, and Li is currently required to be on a GPS tether if bond is posted. This information echoes a report from a WXYZ article.
