Gift card fraud crops up in Baldwin Co.

LOXLEY, Ala. - During the holiday season, many use gift cards. But police are on the lookout for illegal cards. Loxley police say they've found some, and put the people in charge behind bars.

Loxley Police confiscated about a dozen gift card early Wednesday morning from a minivan during a traffic stop on I-10.

Police say they have seen cases like this before. Thieves use stolen credit or debit card information to put money on the gift cards. In return, criminals use them at local stores.

Officers also found 75 cartons of cigarettes. There is a possible connection between the tobacco and the gift cards.

"Typically, what we see when someone steals your bank information, they go and buy things to make themselves a profit with," said Lt. Doug Phillips of Loxley Police.

Police found out the van was not supposed to leave the state of Florida, because it is a rental van.

Three people are now facing several charges. Police say they are from Cuba, but now have American ID's.

But officers are not sure if those ID's are real.

"The immigration and customs agency is assisting us in the investigation," said Lt. Phillips.

The suspects told police they were traveling from Miami to New Orleans. But now they are in Bay Minette at the Baldwin County Jail.

As for the cigarettes, police say Alabama law does not allow that many cartons to be moved without a license.