Miami Gardens man accused of placing fraudulent gift cards at Cape business
Police: Suspect confessed to placing cards at multiple locations
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A Miami Gardens man was arrested in Cape Coral Wednesday after police say he placed more than 50 gift cards on the racks of a local business in an attempt to drain the funds once purchased.
Sebastian Garcia Gallego, 25, was charged with larceny, fraud, and property damage.
According to Cape Coral Police Department officials, officers were called to a business in the 1600-block of Del Prado Boulevard South for a “suspicious circumstance.”
A loss prevention officer at the location pointed police to a black Kia Forte that was driving away, telling officers the driver of the vehicle placed several compromised/counterfeit gift cards on their racks.
An officer stopped the vehicle in the parking lot, and identified that driver as Garcia Gallego.
“The investigation on scene revealed that Loss Prevention Officers watched the suspect (via CCTV) go into the store, then conspicuously place numerous compromised gift cards throughout their gift card rack,” said CCPD officials in a release. “This is a common scam in which suspects will preciously steal the gift card account number and pin information, then put them back on the rack. Once the gift cards are legitimately purchased, the suspects will then remotely drain the funds from the cards and leave the unsuspecting customer with a zero balance.”
Garcia Gallego is alleged to have placed more than 50 gift cards on the gift card rack, which ranged in price from $20 to $500 dollars. Managers at the store removed all gift cards from the display.
CCPD stated its investigation revealed that Garcia Gallego visited other businesses in Cape Coral to commit the same crimes.
Detectives in the Economic Crimes Unit searched the suspect's car and found a large bag with over 200 compromised gift cards, police officials stated.
Police said these gift cards were packaged in small bundles and placed into several numbered plastic bags, and were submitted into evidence.
“Several of the gift cards located at both the business and in the vehicle showed signs of being tampered with,” the release states. “Garcia Gallego confessed that he gets paid to drive to a new city every week to distribute hundreds of compromised gift cards,” the release states. “He also admitted to distributing hundreds of gift cards at additional locations in Cape Coral. The Cape Coral Police Department has been able to identify these locations, and we are currently working on notifying management at these stores. We are also working to notify neighboring agencies.”
As of Thursday at noon, Garcia Gallego was in custody at Lee County Jail, with a bond set at $30,000.