Police in Southern California have uncovered a scam in which thousands of gifts cards were stolen from stores across the region.
In a post to Instagram on Wednesday, the Chino Police Department said an arrest was made after an investigation into a large-scale scam was wrapped up.
While working with security teams and local law enforcement agencies, the department discovered that thefts occurred at more than 250 department stores across San Bernardino, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange counties in just a one-month span.
Upon execution of a search warrant, about 9,500 stolen gift cards were seized. A photo shared by Chino police showed stacks of stolen gift cards from stores like Target, Nordstrom, The Home Depot, eBay, Lululemon and eBay.
The suspect, identified only as an individual from El Monte, was arrested on suspicion of multiple charges and was booked into county jail.
The Chino Police Department warned shoppers to be careful when purchasing gift cards. If the card’s packaging appeared to be tampered with or if the PIN sticker on the back has been removed, there is a likelihood that the card may be part of a scam.