Three arrested for gift card fraud

Austin—The Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center (FCIC) arrested three men suspected of gift card fraud estimated at $14 million.

Kristians Petrovskis, Romunds Cubrevics and Nurmunds Ulevicus are suspected of gift card cloning, and had more than 400 gift cards in their possession when they were arrested.

Gift card cloning involves the theft of un-activated gift cards from retail store kiosks, then opening the gift card packaging, copying the electronic number off the gift card, then re-sealing the gift card packaging and returning the gift card to the kiosk at the store where the card was stolen. When a consumer purchases the card and loads funds onto the compromised gift card, the criminal then checks the card’s balance and drains the card of funds before the consumer can use it. Consumers are encouraged to closely examine gift card packaging before purchasing gift cards, looking for any excess glue or damage to the packaging that could indicate someone has tampered with the card. 

Texas Penal Code 32.56, a new law enacted by the 89th Texas Legislature to crack down on gift card tampering, went into effect on Sept. 1, 2025.

Petrovskis, Cubrevics and Ulevicus were charged with Fraudulent Possession of Gift Cards, a first-degree felony. Two of the men are being held in the Dallas County Jail and one remains in jail in Garland. The three men told investigators that they usually steal gift cards from 10 stores a day, seven days a week and have done so since May 2025. They are linked to recent offenses in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Central Texas and Gulf Coast areas.

Assisting with the investigation and arrests were the Garland Police Department, the Dallas Police Department CRT/Deployment Team, the Dallas Police Department Fusion Center, the Texas Department of Public Safety - Garland Criminal Investigations Division, and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. 

SOURCE Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center