Six Asian Suspects Arrested in Peoria, Arizona Online Shopping Fraud Ring Involving About $1.23 Million
After a two-month investigation, Maricopa County authorities in Arizona have broken up a large fraud ring that used stolen accounts for online shopping and reshipping, arresting six Asian suspects in a case involving about $1.23 million, World Journal reported on October 29, citing the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and other sources. The case began with an August 22 report from a Walmart delivery driver: within a few days he had delivered 30 to 50 packages to the same Peoria home, each under a different recipient name. Days later, a consumer reported that their Walmart account had been stolen and used for purchases.
The suspects allegedly used stolen Walmart accounts and credit card information to place about 15,500 orders, with merchandise delivered to two boba tea shops and homes in Peoria and Tolleson, then trucked to California to be loaded into containers bound for Vietnam. Investigators tied 11,364 of the orders to six delivery locations in Mesa, Avondale, Glendale and Peoria. The goods included shampoo, body lotion, denture adhesive, chocolate, and children's and pet products.
On October 22, officers served search warrants at multiple locations across the Phoenix metro area, detaining 10 people; four were released after questioning and six were taken into custody. Investigators identified 30-year-old Hoai Nguyen Nguyen as the suspected organizer of the operation. The other arrestees are Thien Tran, 42; Uy Vu Phan, 55; Minh Ngoc Nguyen, 57; Hie Xuan Le, 24; and Hailey Hang Nguyen, 26.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 六名被捕嫌疑人，背景为查获的包裹 / The six arrested suspects, with seized packages in the background. Photo: Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, via World Journal
