Oakland County Resident Loses More Than $16,500 in Lengthy Gift Card Scam

A woman from Oakland County has reportedly fallen prey to an elaborate gift card scam spanning over a year, eventually costing her a whopping $16,500. The fraudster, known to the victim only as “William,” manipulated her into buying expensive gift cards from Best Buy and Target under false pretenses.

After trying hard to forget the painful ordeal that took place in September 2021, the woman was recently reminded of the scam when she received official documents exposing the true scale of the operation. The papers described a fraudulent scheme that duped hundreds of victims across the U.S., led by a 31-year-old man named “Sunyu Qian” based in Fairfax, Virginia.

Keeping her identity anonymous due to the embarrassment and trauma associated with the scam, the victim opened up about her ordeal and how she fell for the scammer’s tricks. Initially, the scam started with a fake Norton security subscription alert that eventually escalated to threats of federal investigation. As a result, she was pressured into repeatedly buying gift cards, falsely convinced she would get her money back later – which never happened.

Around the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic was at its height and took its mental toll on people all over the world, creating an ideal environment for scammers to take advantage of the widespread anxiety and feelings of isolation.

The elaborate gift card scam took place over three years and involved victims buying gift cards under false pretenses, which were then used by the fraudsters to purchase electronics both in stores and online. The scam wasn’t limited to Best Buy and Target; it had affected several others, with well-known payment methods such as Apple Pay and Google Pay also being caught in the crossfire.

In a shocking turn of events, it surfaced that money stolen from various gift cards could be cumulatively used to make purchases. For instance, Qian reportedly combined gift cards from victims located in different states to buy high-value items, which he then sold to co-conspirators for cash. Some of these purchases were traced back to his personal credit and debit cards, ultimately leading to his identification.

Apart from the gift card scam, Qian was also involved in another fraudulent scheme involving the purchase of baby formula at reduced prices using counterfeit pricetags. He then resold the formula, making a significant profit. This resulted in a loss of at least $124,000 to two retailers.

Following a guilty plea on May 15, Qian could face up to 25 years in prison for his crimes. However, despite the legal ramifications for Qian, the real-world impact of such scams on victims continues to linger. The Oakland County victim, for instance, still finds it difficult to enter a Best Buy store, a reminder of a deception that cost her immensely.

Although no one can turn back time, it’s a grim reminder for everyone about the dangers that lurk in the digital world and the importance of staying vigilant when dealing with money and online transactions.