Gift Card Scheme Unraveled in New York

A 19 year-old woman has been charged in a gift card scheme in Valley Stream, NY. 

The Target cashier has been accused of knowingly accepting counterfeit $100 bills in exchange for different types of gift cards.

Target security guards, the local police department, and U.S. Secret Service agents uncovered the scheme.  The cashier’s accomplish, another 19 year-old woman, posed as a customer and made the gift card purchases at the retail store.

Yareny Almonte, the Target cashier, gave $200 in cash along with $1500 in gift certificates to her accomplice in exchange for $1700 in fake bills.  The exchange took place during three different transactions on March 19, 2009.

Both the cashier and the accomplice live at the same address and have been charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument and grand larceny.