Two men from California are facing forgery charges for an alleged fraud scheme aimed at Target in Reston.
Officers patrolling the 12100 block of Sunset Hill Road last Wednesday (Dec. 11) as part of a Christmas Anti-Theft Team were contacted around 5:21 p.m. by the department store’s loss prevention officer, who reported a man who was suspected of committing fraud at another location the previous day, the Fairfax County Police Department says.
While it’s not specified in a press release published yesterday (Monday), an FCPD spokesperson confirmed that Target was the affected store. The previous fraud incident mentioned by the loss prevention officer occurred in Richmond.
According to the FCPD, officers responding to Target in Reston saw a 36-year-old man place “numerous altered Visa gift cards on various sale racks in the store before attempting to leave.”
The man was arrested, and officers found that he had at least 22 altered gift cards, the FCPD said in a news release. Upon further investigation, the officers learned that he had an accomplice — a 35-year-old man who was located in a nearby vehicle.
“The vehicle revealed evidence consistent with fraudulent activity,” the FCPD said.
The man arrested inside Target has been charged with 22 counts each of credit card forgery and possession of a credit card forgery device, along with possession of burglarious tools. The alleged accomplice has been charged with three counts of credit card forgery, possession of a credit card forgery device, and burglarious tools.
Both men are being held in custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center with no bond. They have preliminary hearings scheduled for 2 p.m. on March 26 in Fairfax County General District Court, per court records.
The FCPD shared tips for avoiding scams involving fraudulent gift cards:
- Inspect the Packaging Carefully: Look for signs of tampering, such as mismatched seals, uneven edges, or any stickers or labels that seem out of place.
- Check Gift Card Balances Quickly: After purchasing, check the balance on the gift card to ensure the funds were loaded correctly. Many retailers offer online balance-checking tools.
- Monitor the Activation Process: When purchasing a gift card check that the barcode being scanned matches the card you’re buying.
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