Man Admits Tampering With Gift Cards and Putting Them Back on Store Racks in Missouri, Colorado and Iowa

Published Nov. 10, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

You buy a gift card off the rack, the cashier activates it, and you give it as a present. When the recipient tries to use it, the balance is gone. That is the scheme a 39-year-old man admitted taking part in this month, according to federal prosecutors in St. Louis. On Nov. 4, 2026, Liang Xiong pleaded guilty to one count of possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri announced [1].

Status: Xiong pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis and is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 10, 2027 [1].

How the scheme worked

According to Xiong's plea agreement, as described by the U.S. Attorney's Office [1]:

• From Feb. 24, 2026, through at least March 11, 2026, Xiong stole gift cards from retailers around the United States.
• He removed the strip concealing the serial number on each card and recorded the number.
• He then put the compromised cards back on display racks in stores in Colorado, Iowa and Missouri.
• Once a shopper bought and activated a card, Xiong and others intended to steal the funds using the serial numbers they had recorded.

The release gives specific examples. Xiong admitted stealing 15 Amazon gift cards on March 10, 2026, from a store in O'Fallon, Missouri. The next day, he placed 16 previously stolen Apple gift cards in a display at a store in St. Charles. The St. Charles Police Department arrested him that day with 134 compromised gift cards from three retailers in his vehicle [1].

The cards would have been worth $58,300 if paying customers had bought and activated them. According to the plea agreement, all the cards in this case were recovered before any customer bought them [1].

The defendant and his status

Liang Xiong, 39. A Chinese national, according to the release. He pleaded guilty Nov. 4, 2026, to possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices. The charge carries up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Court documents indicate he entered the country illegally through Mexico and has a pending asylum claim; the release says he will likely be deported after any prison term. Sentencing is set for Feb. 10, 2027 [1].

The release does not identify the "others" Xiong worked with or say whether anyone else has been charged. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the St. Charles Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karin Schute is prosecuting [1].

Why gift card tampering works

A gift card off the rack has no value until it is activated at the register. That is why thieves don't need to steal money; they only need the card number and PIN before a real customer pays. Once the card is loaded, the numbers they recorded let them spend the balance online, often within minutes. The buyer usually finds out only when the person they gave it to tries to use it.

This is different from the better-known gift card payment scam, in which a caller tells you to buy cards and read them the numbers. Here, nobody calls you. The theft happens on the rack.

Red flags on a gift card

HSI recommends watching for signs that gift cards have been altered or counterfeited [1]. General signs to check before you buy:

• The scratch-off strip or PIN cover looks scratched, peeled, re-glued or covered with a sticker.
• The packaging is torn, re-sealed or loose, or the card slides out easily.
• The barcode or serial number on the package doesn't match the one on the card.
• A card is stuck behind or on top of a different brand's cards, or a rack looks rearranged.
• The card feels thicker than usual, which can mean a sticker over the real barcode.

What to do

• Buy cards from behind the counter or ask a cashier for one from stock, when possible.
• Inspect the package and the PIN area before you pay. If anything looks off, hand it to the cashier and pick another.
• Keep the receipt and the card's packaging until the card has been used. You will need both to ask the retailer or card issuer for help.
• Use or register the card soon after buying, and check the balance right away.
• If the balance is gone, contact the card issuer (the company named on the card) immediately with the receipt, and tell the store where you bought it.
• Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and, if you lost money, to your local police.

Case status (as of Nov. 10, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status	Source
Liang Xiong, 39	U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis)	Pleaded guilty Nov. 4, 2026, to possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices; sentencing set for Feb. 10, 2027	[1]

Statuses can change. The release does not give a case number or Xiong's city of residence.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Missouri, "Chinese National Admits Nationwide Gift Card Fraud," Nov. 4, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmo/pr/chinese-national-admits-nationwide-gift-card-fraud

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