Knoxville, TN – The Knox County Sheriff’s Office announced a major breakthrough in a nationwide fraud investigation, arresting multiple suspects involved in an elaborate “Tap to Pay” scheme.
Since August 2024, the department’s Organized Retail Crime Unit (NARC – Narcotics and Retail Crime Division) has been tracking the operation, which involved stolen credit card information used to purchase gift cards and launder funds. On Monday, authorities recovered over $23,000 in fraudulently obtained gift cards.
According to the sheriff’s office, the latest arrests bring the total number of suspects in the case to 11, all of whom are Chinese nationals. Knox County officials emphasized that this marks a significant milestone, as the agency is the first in the U.S. to apprehend offenders specifically in this type of fraud.
The suspects had reportedly operated across multiple states over the past month before being taken into custody. They are now being held at the Knox County Detention Facility.
Authorities credited the NARC Unit’s efforts in dismantling the organized crime network and reaffirmed their commitment to protecting residents from similar schemes.
