A Homeland Security task force, dubbed 'PROJECT RED HOOK', is targeting Chinese organized crime rings implicated in stealing hundreds of millions of dollars in gift card balances from U.S. consumers. These crime rings, already dominant in the illegal marijuana trade and involved in laundering profits from cocaine and heroin, are now being investigated for their role in a new form of gift card fraud. The fraud, known as 'card draining', involves the use of stolen or altered card numbers to siphon off funds before the legitimate owner can use them. This investigation highlights the broader issue of gift card security, with instances of theft not only impacting consumers directly but also exposing vulnerabilities in systems meant to aid individuals, such as city-issued migrant debit cards.