Why Your Gift Card Is Empty: $14 Million Fraud Ring Busted In Texas—How The Scheme Works [Roundup]

News and notes from around the interweb:

• Latvians arrested in Texas in $14 million gift card fraud. If you ever wondered why the cards you buy and load somehow have no value when you go to use them…?

  ​The thieves would then take the items to another location and carefully remove the packaging almost surgically.

  “The card is removed, and then the material on the back that covers up the numbers to transfer anything or activate the card is then removed so that they can see it,” said Colby. “The numbers that are on the card are then programmed into another program that the criminals are using, which will now monitor that card.”

  From there, the cards are reassembled to appear new, without scratches, and placed back onto store shelves for someone to buy.

  ​”As soon as it is activated and money placed onto that card, the criminals are now aware of it, but they now have the ability to transfer the money off of that card and onto another card where it is then cashed out or used to buy high-end merchandise,” said Colby.

  

• More proof that TSA has never stopped a terrorist:

  This is actually my worst nightmare pic.twitter.com/X7B6pvPGz5

  — Hoops (@Hoopss) December 29, 2025

• Plenty of hotels in Asia have signs out that read ‘No Durian.’ It’s known as ‘stinky fruit’. It’s also delicious. If you’re new to the flavor, or don’t think it’s quite for you, I recommend a much more mild introduction with Durian ice cream.

  First room I’ve had with a durian cleaning fee pic.twitter.com/1Nda91FmGV

  — tyson brody (@tysonbrody) December 30, 2025

• American Airlines set up a DEI pilot academy, and some of the pilots who attended are suing claiming it was racist

• Rideshare pickup has returned to New York JFK terminal 4, no more need to take the AirTrain first. Delta JFK arrivals no longer on my avoid list.

  GOOD NEWS: Terminal 4 curbside pick-up is back!

  Terminal 4 customers can once again access for-hire vehicles like Uber, Lyft, etc. at the terminal frontage.

  Learn more: https://t.co/xEPNynGkwS pic.twitter.com/O4sRv9oKOA

  — John F. Kennedy Airport (@JFKairport) December 30, 2025

• Spain exempts Airbus from its Israeli tech ban. Spanish hostility towards the Jews dates to antiquity, but became state-structured in the Visigothic era (6th–7th centuries). But they don’t want to lose those sweet, sweet manufacturing exports… The ban is somehow supposed to leverage Israel to grant a state to the Palestinians, which would be led by Hamas. The Catalan independence movement would like a word…

• Sprinkles Cupcakes is going out of business and closing its locations and vending machines.

  Taylor Gourmet had the best quick service sandwiches in the D.C. area, but shut down all 18 D.C. locations in 2018… except for the one at National airport, which they didn’t own or operate, but licensed as part of a concessions agreement. (A new owner revived the chain in 2019 and there are a couple of locations now.)

  So I thought perhaps the airport locations of Sprinkles might similarly survive, but reporting suggests that airport vending machines will be removed as well.