Three-men allegedly involved in a gift card fraud scheme managed to accumulate over $25,000 in the course of only five days.
Police began investigating after receiving a report by Walmart security personnel alerting them to a scheme three men were using in order to steal activated gift cards in store.
Records show that between October 29 and November 3 the men would visit various Walmart stores throughout the Valley and attempt to buy several gift cards from a cashier, saying they would be paying by credit card.
Police say, at this point in the transaction, the cashier has already swiped the gift cards with the set amounts and hand them off to the suspects. When the credit card would decline they would offer to pay cash, once switching the payment method the cards would instantly active and the three men would flee the store without paying.
Police later learned the trio not only hit stores in the Valley, but were running the scheme from state to state, collection around $25,000 total in gift and pre-paid cards.
At one particular Walmart an employee was able to get a vehicle description and license plate number of the car the suspects used to escape.
Scottsdale police were able to track the car belonging to a rental agency currently being rented by 22-year-old Gregory Dewayne Reid. Police witnessed Reid return the car and were able to match his description to surveillance video provided by Walmart.
Reid took a cab to Sky Harbor International Airport, where police arrested him as he was trying to board a plane and leave the state.
Police say he was in possession numerous gift cards worth about $5,000.
Reid has been charged with fraudulent schemes.
