On Saturday, Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies arrested Yubo Tian, a 37-year-old man accused of stealing over 6,000 gift cards from Target in a nationwide scam.
Deputies were working as part of “Operation Hot August Nights,” a five-day initiative to combat retail theft. About 50 deputies were stationed at four locations across Sacramento County.
At around 8 p.m., deputies at the Target store on Madison Ave. in Old Foothill Farms saw Tian removing gift cards from the wall and replacing them with new ones. Recognizing the suspicious behavior, they waited until Tian left the store and then arrested him. He had stolen 70 gift cards from the store and had approximately 6,500 more in his car.
The stolen cards could be worth between $40,000 and $3.1 million, depending on the amounts loaded onto them. Tian faces three felony charges: organized retail theft, tampering with electronic access cards, and conspiracy.
Tian was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on Sunday and is not eligible for bail. He appeared in Sacramento Superior Court for arraignment on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Detectives believe Tian is part of a large theft ring based in China. They noted that another person was caught with tampered gift cards at the same Target just the day after Tian’s arrest.
Scammers often use stolen gift cards to buy electronics, mainly Apple products, which are then shipped overseas to China.
In 2023, deputies arrested Ningning Sun for hoarding over 5,000 gift cards from Target stores across the U.S.
Residents are advised to be cautious when buying gift cards. Check for signs of tampering like scratches or damaged glue. Digital gift cards or those kept behind glass in stores are considered safer options.