Five charged in DuPage credit card scam

Five California residents who used “re-encoded” credit cards to go on an electronics shopping spree in DuPage County are now facing conspiracy and identity theft charges, prosecutors said Wednesday.

The suspects, who were indicted Tuesday, were arrested last month after spending thousands at stores in Downers Grove, Naperville and Oak Brook using credit cards that displayed their correct names but were encoded with stolen card numbers, authorities said.

“They got the cards in California but came here because this is the general area where the cardholders were from, so it would not look suspicious,” Assistant DuPage County State's Attorney Diane Michalak said.

Michalak said authorities were still investigating how the group obtained the card numbers. She said they were pulled over and arrested after leaving the Apple store at Oakbrook Center on July 2. Other purchases were made at the Apple store in Naperville, the Microsoft store at Oakbrook Center and Fry's Home Electronics in Downers Grove.

“They had about $24,000 worth of merchandise in the car when they were arrested, and in excess of 100 re-encoded cards,” Michalak said.

Those charged were: Ping Chen, 25, of Baldwin Park; Sandy Hendrik, 39, of Monterey Park; Andrew Saseung, 24, of West Covina; Binge Xu, 27, of Alhambra; and Jiaqi Yan, 24, of Pomona, according to court records.

Felony charges against the group are identity theft and conspiracy. In addition, Chen was charged with possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine.

Chen and Saseung remained in the county jail Wednesday on $800,000 bails; the others had bonded out with lesser amounts. All five are due in court later this month.