Waukesha Co. Sheriff's Department recovers 1,300 cloned Walmart gift cards

WAUKESHA -- Waukesha authorities are investigating after 1,300 Walmart gift cards containing stolen credit card information were recovered.

In February, a local Waukesha County business owner reported a suspicious looking package to local law enforcement. The responding officers identified a bag that was partially covered in snow and frozen to the ground.

Officials say it appeared that the bag had been there for some time so as the snow began to melt, it became exposed.

According to the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department, the bag contained approximately 1,300 Walmart gift cards. The magnetic stripes on 777 of the cards were immediately scanned into the ERAD-FCIS system, which determined that all of the magnetic stripes contained stolen credit card information, but none of the gift cards had been activated.

The affected banks are currently being notified.

Since the gift cards had not been activated, the arresting agency was unable to establish the store location of the gift cards.

Authorities say the approximately 600 remaining cards were taped together, similar to a brick of drugs, and sent to the crime lab for finger print analysis.