Story perspectives

China-Linked Crime Ring Profits $35M from Scam Gift Cards

1/16/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The Department of Homeland Security reports that romance and sextortion gift cards fuel a China-linked organized crime operation.
Over 30,000 Apple devices, worth $35 million, were shipped to a warehouse in Amherst, New Hampshire, using scam gift cards.
Investigators linked these scams to a Chinese transnational criminal organization.
Project Red Hook, an initiative to curb this illicit activity, has resulted in three sentences for $4.8 million in fraudulent gift cards.

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Story summary

The Department of Homeland Security reports that romance and sextortion gift cards fuel a China-linked organized crime operation.
Over 30,000 Apple devices, worth $35 million, were shipped to a warehouse in Amherst, New Hampshire, using scam gift cards.
Investigators linked these scams to a Chinese transnational criminal organization.
Project Red Hook, an initiative to curb this illicit activity, has resulted in three sentences for $4.8 million in fraudulent gift cards.