Court records tie Staples hack to multimillion-dollar gift-card fraud
Original title: How a Massive Chinese Crime Ring Hacked Staples to Steal Millions
Hackers issued more than 15,000 cards worth over $5 million; the gang redeemed about $425,000 of them.
A search warrant unsealed last week describes hackers who reached an office-supply company’s internal Nexus support system, dumped application memory, and hijacked customer-service sessions to issue gift cards. 404 Media identifies the unnamed Massachusetts company as Staples; Staples did not comment. Cards were spent at Target, Sephora, and Lowe’s, and a Department of Justice case previously sentenced three Chinese nationals in a wider gift-card conspiracy.
Unconfirmed: The warrant does not name Staples; 404 Media’s identification is based on clues, and Staples did not comment.
- HSI was told in October 2023 that more than 15,000 cards worth over $5 million were issued.
- The gang used 4,630 hacked cards totaling about $425,000, the warrant says.
- Target recorded 3,850 cards worth about $141,000 at 85 stores in 18 states over two days.
- Sephora reported about 330 cards worth $58,600; Lowe’s reported 450 cards totaling $226,000.
- DOJ said the broader ring acquired more than $100 million in gift cards.
Impact: Fraudulent gift cards issued after hijacked support sessions
- Products
- Nexus
- Countries
- ChinaUnited States
From the original article
4 min read at 404media.co
A sophisticated organized crime gang hacked into Staples, issued millions of dollars worth of gift cards, and went on a spending spree across the U. S.
By Joseph Cox · 404media.co
A short excerpt; the article and its images belong to the publisher. Summary, key facts and assessment above are AI-written from the article and can be wrong.