WILTON, CT — A New York man was arrested in Wilton after police discovered 36 gift cards and tools used to tamper with their packaging inside a vehicle parked outside CVS Pharmacy, authorities said.
Chunlin Wang, 35, of Flushing, New York, was arrested Tuesday, Nov. 10, and charged with 36 counts of second-degree forgery and one count of attempted second-degree larceny, according to Wilton police.
Officers responded to CVS at 93 Old Ridgefield Road around 2:13 p.m. after receiving a report of a man sitting in a parked vehicle holding numerous gift cards, police said.
Investigators found 36 gift cards, some unopened and others packaged, along with tools that could be used to open gift card packaging, scrape off protective foil covering serial numbers and reseal the packages, according to police.
The unopened cards had exposed serial numbers with their protective coverings removed, police said.
Authorities said gift card tampering schemes typically involve removing cards from store displays, exposing their numbers and PINs, and resealing the packaging before returning the cards to shelves. Once customers purchase and load money onto the cards, scammers can drain the funds before the cards are used.
Wilton police credited CVS employees with reporting the suspicious activity, saying the arrest potentially prevented 36 fraud cases and up to $14,400 in financial losses.
Wang was held on a $500,000 bond and scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court on Thursday, Nov. 12, according to police.
With the holiday shopping season approaching, police urged residents to inspect gift cards before purchasing them.
Shoppers should look for altered packaging, exposed PINs or serial numbers, and security coverings that appear to have been removed or replaced. Anyone who notices a suspicious gift card should notify store employees and select another card, police said.
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