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California Man Pleads to Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, Operating Gift Card Fraud Scheme
October 27, 2026
LANSING – Sinjuan Song, 31, of Alhambra, California, pled no contest to one count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony, last week in the 6th Circuit Court in Oakland County, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Song was charged in March of this year for operating a large-scale gift card fraud scheme impacting Metro Detroit Meijer locations.
Prosecutors alleged Song to be connected to an organized retail crime group that distributed altered gift cards at Meijer locations in White Lake, Waterford, Auburn Hills, Southgate, Allen Park, and Taylor in 2025. The investigation was led by the United States Postal Inspection Service in collaboration with the Attorney General’s FORCE Team and the Michigan State Police.
“I am grateful for the collaboration between our FORCE Team, Michigan State Police, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, that allowed us to end a significant fraud ring and secure this conviction,” said Attorney General Nessel. “Shoppers should carefully inspect gift cards they intend to purchase, checking for any signs the card has been tampered with, before loading them with funds.”
Gift card fraud scams typically begin with the theft of empty, unsold gift cards from retail stores. The cards are then tampered with to reveal their unique redemption numbers, recorded by alleged scammers, then concealed once again with an adhesive to appear as though they have not been tampered with. The altered gift cards are then returned to their original intended retail point of sale, and the alleged scammers use computer programs to monitor when any card is activated with a balance of funds. As soon as a shopper places a balance on the card, the balance is transferred into another digital account. The gift card, when given as a gift and redeemed, is already depleted.
Attorney General Nessel, who was named the inaugural attorney general strategic partner of the Gift Card Fraud Prevention Alliance, previously released a video alerting Michiganders to the gift card scam, detailing how the scam is believed to operate, and offering tips to avoid becoming a victim.
Song is scheduled to appear for sentencing on November 18th.
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