New York man arrested for alleged gift card scam in Chester County

WEST CHESTER, PA — A New York man is facing charges in Chester County for his alleged involvement in a gift card scam targeting local Giant Food Stores. Authorities have identified Dong Shao, 33, of Flushing, New York, as the suspect behind several reported “gift card draining” incidents in Westtown and East Goshen Townships.

In March 2024, the Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department launched an investigation into this scam. This scheme, known as “card draining,” involves tampering with gift cards found in stores. Fraudsters scratch the protective covering to reveal the card's code, record the code, then replace the covering and place the card back on the shelf. When a customer purchases the fake card and loads funds onto it, the scammer uses the stored code to drain the funds before the rightful owner can use them.

As a result of the investigation, police identified Shao as the main suspect. An arrest warrant was issued and Shao was apprehended in New York and extradited to Pennsylvania.

Shao faces multiple charges, including possession and use of illegal devices, device access fraud, and theft by deception. He was arrested on June 3, 2024.

Authorities remind the public that all charges are allegations. Shao is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The investigation continues and additional details may be revealed as the case develops.

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