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An investigation into suspicious behavior involving a series of gift card purchases in Metro Detroit has led to the arrest of a California woman. Baixue He, 29, now faces 17 charges of identity theft in the case, the Canton Police Department said. She was arraigned Monday in the 35th District Court in Plymouth. Bond was set at $50,000, court records show. A probable cause conference is scheduled for Nov. 21, preliminary exam set for Dec. 1. Each felony count has a possible penalty of up to five years in prison. The investigation was led by the Canton Police Department, in partnership with the Michigan Attorney General/Michigan State Police FORCE Team. Canton officers said they were working on a blitz investigation into organized retail crime in Canton Township when they noticed a woman "making multiple suspicious gift card purchases at several area big-box retailers." Detectives started surveillance on the woman, eventually following her to 11 different stores where she tried to make nearly 100 fraudulent transactions involving the purchase of gift cards using stolen credit card information. The credit card account numbers were obtained through an online fraud scheme, police said. "Investigators have determined that the scheme is part of a larger online fraud operation in which unsuspecting consumers believe they are purchasing merchandise from legitimate, brand-name retailers," police said. "In reality, these individuals are engaging with spoofed or look-alike websites, allowing fraudsters to collect their credit card information and use it to make unauthorized purchases, most commonly high-value gift cards, as they travel from state to state." The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office authorized charges on Friday. Authorities shared security tips as the holiday season approaches to prevent becoming the victim of online shopping fraud. The Canton Police Department said shoppers should verify website addresses before making purchases and avoid clicking links in unsolicited emails or text messages "During the holidays and really every day we must guard ourselves against criminals committing fraud," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement.
