🚨15 Years Imprisonment! A couple of Chinese con artists were seen driving a Bentley around Florida, their actions were uncovered.

🇺🇸 The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida announced on August 19, 2025, that a federal grand jury has indicted two individuals of Chinese descent, accusing them of executing a large-scale gift card fraud in South Florida. The case involves Miami-Dade County and Broward County, with details such as the suspects using luxury cars and hiding stolen goods in toilets raising concerns. The accused suspects are 22-year-old Caoyuan Liu (male) and 26-year-old Lingham Chen (female), who are charged with conspiracy to commit theft and possession of 15 or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices. Police officials stated that one of the methods used in the fraud was to replace stolen cards with new ones. The suspects would scratch off the account seals on the cards, record the card numbers, then replace the cards and reseal them. They would then go to another location and insert the cards into new cards. Customers who purchased these cards would only realize the cards had been tampered with when the account balance showed zero after activation.

🏛️ According to court records, the two suspects executed a highly concealed scheme: on December 16, 2024, they entered a grocery store, removed gift cards from the shelves, and then replaced some altered cards. After the crime, they fled the scene in a black Bentley SUV with New York license plates. Law enforcement officers subsequently searched their residence and seized a large number of gift cards, some of which were hidden in toilets. On December 23, 2024, police discovered more suspected gift cards while searching the Bentley SUV.

🔍 Investigations revealed that this fraud ring operated in over 40 grocery stores in Florida, with victims spread across multiple counties. The U.S. Attorney's Office stated that if convicted, the two suspects face a maximum of 15 years in prison. The case is currently under further investigation.

⚠️ This case exposes the security vulnerabilities of gift card payments and raises public awareness of new types of payment fraud. Consumers are reminded to exercise caution when purchasing gift cards in the U.S. Please buy through legitimate channels such as supermarkets and brand websites. Before purchasing, check the condition of the card to ensure it is intact and the coating is undamaged. After purchase, retain the receipt and card number for legal actions.