PHOENIX – Attorney General Kris Mayes today announced the sentencing of Yuniel Rodriguez-Leon for his role in a gift card cloning scheme targeting Walmart stores throughout Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties from October through December 2023.
“I am proud of the work of the agents and prosecutors in my office for their efforts in combating the retail theft that occurred in this gift card cloning scam,” said Attorney General Mayes. "I’m also grateful to Walmart for the support and partnership provided in this operation. Together, we will continue to identify, pursue, and prosecute those involved in such crimes to ensure justice for Arizonans.”
Law enforcement agents identified a group of individuals who were removing gift cards from Walmart, cloning the gift card numbers, and then placing the cards back on shelfs for consumers to purchase. Once consumers loaded the gift cards with funds, these cards were then accessed and the balance used before the consumer was able to access the funds.
Through the assistance of Walmart’s Global Investigations, Rodriguez-Leon was captured on video surveillance in multiple stores placing cloned gift cards on gift card cubicles and removing cards for future cloning. Additional investigation identified multiple transactions where Rodriguez-Leon would use cloned gift cards to make personal purchases.
On August 2, 2024, Rodriguez-Leon pleaded guilty to Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices, a Class 2 felony and Illegally Conducting an Enterprise, a Class 3 felony. On September 17, 2024, Rodriguez-Leon was sentenced to 2.75 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections and a consecutive sentence of 2.5 years’ probation.
Attorney General Mayes announced an investigation into this matter in December 2023.
Background:
Gift card cloning happens when fraudsters take gift cards from stores, copy the magnetic strips, and return the copied gift cards to store shelves. When a consumer buys the card, the fraudster uses the copied magnetic strip to drain the funds leaving the consumer with a worthless card.
Consumers can avoid being defrauded by double-checking to ensure that the number on the back of any gift card matches the number on the receipt. If the numbers do not match, that is a sign the card may have been cloned.
Consumers should also look for signs of tampering, such stickers placed over activation codes or damage to packaging or faint scratches on the card from being swiped through a card reader. For extra precaution, consumers may consider purchasing gift cards stored behind the counter or near cash registers.
If you believe you have been the victim of fraud, you can file a complaint by visiting https://www.azag.gov/complaints/criminal. You may also contact the Attorney General’s Office at (602) 542-8888.
This case was investigated by the Special Investigation Section of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and Walmart’s Global Investigations. The investigation involved assistance from the US Department of Agriculture, and US Secret Service. Phoenix, Glendale and Peoria Police Departments also assisted in the investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Matthew McCray. Copies of the sentencing order and indictment are available below.
