CHINA TOPIX

04/25/2024 07:40:28 pm

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Authorities Arrest Six Alleged Gift Card Scammers in Beijing

 A gift card rack is seen at the Barnes & Noble store November 21, 2008 in Miami, Florida.

(Photo : Getty Images) A gift card rack is seen at the Barnes & Noble store November 21, 2008 in Miami, Florida.

Chinese authorities arrested six former supermarket workers accused of stealing 40 million yuan ($6 million) through fraudulent topped up gift cards, The Beijing News reported.

The suspects allegedly breached into the computer system and added credit to 6,000 cards. They reportedly used these credits to shop at supermarkets in Beijing, according to the BBC.

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For a year, the suspects managed to get away; however, the suspicion started when one of the cashiers noticed that one of the single-use cards has already been used.

Investigation by the management found that thousands of gift cards have been hacked, and some were even topped up over and over again, the BBC noted. Authorities also found that one of the six suspects used to work at a major supermarket as an IT administrator.

In a post on China's Twitter-like Weibo account, police officials at the city's Fengtai district detailed the scam.

"Apple mobile phones and high-end liquor were their first choices," the post read. It further said that one purchase included 50 boxes of the expensive Maotai liquor with a price tag of 5,000 yuan ($750) per bottle.

Not only that, two of the detained suspects were also able to buy apartments in a luxurious part of Beijing. Police authorities also discovered cutting-edge and expensive electrical appliances "two of every kind" in their abodes.

On the other hand, a student from the University of Hong Kong lost nearly $155,000 via a phone scam.

The student claimed that a man claiming to be a police officer said that she was dragged into a deception case and needed to give her mainland bank account details for investigation purposes.

Officials said this may be the biggest sum stolen from a student. This year alone, scammers have targeted at least 37 students already and stole about $645,000.

Police officials are asking the public to refuse from giving out sensitive information to strangers.

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