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Chinese Crime Ring Hacks Staples, Issues $5 Million in Fraudulent Gift Cards

Chinese Crime Ring Hacks Staples, Issues $5 Million in Fraudulent Gift Cards

First seen 19 Oct 2026, 18:21 UTC • •
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ThreatCluster AI
ThreatCluster •October 19, 2026 at 19:51 UTC
  • •Hackers exploited Staples' Nexus customer support tool to issue fraudulent gift cards.
  • •Over 15,000 gift cards worth $5 million were generated and used for purchases across multiple retailers.
  • •The operation involved sophisticated methods, including session hijacking of customer service representatives.

A Chinese organized crime group hacked Staples, generating over 15,000 fraudulent gift cards worth more than $5 million. The attack exploited a customer support tool called Nexus, which was believed to be accessible only internally. Hackers used heap dump requests to capture data from the application, allowing them to impersonate logged-in customer service representatives and issue gift cards to their own email accounts. The stolen gift cards were then used to purchase electronics at various retailers, including Target and Sephora, with significant transactions occurring in New Hampshire. Investigators identified thousands of cards redeemed across multiple states, indicating a widespread operation. The hack highlights vulnerabilities in retail cybersecurity and the sophistication of organized crime operations targeting U.S. retailers.

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Timeline

2023-10-01
Staples hack discovered
Homeland Security Investigations received information about the hack, revealing over 15,000 fraudulent gift cards issued.
404Media.Co
2026-10-19
Articles published detailing the hack
404 Media and Gadgetreview published articles revealing the details of the Staples hack and its implications.
Gadgetreview

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Common questions

What systems were affected?
The attack specifically targeted Staples' Nexus customer support tool, allowing unauthorized access to issue gift cards.
How were the gift cards used?
The fraudulent gift cards were redeemed at various retailers, including Target and Sephora, for high-demand electronics.
What can retailers do to prevent similar attacks?
Retailers should review access controls for internal tools and implement robust monitoring for unusual activity.