The Cruel Sting: Unmasking the Man Behind New Hampshire's Widespread Gift Card Scam

There’s a certain kind of relief, isn’t there, when authorities finally catch up to someone who has been preying on unsuspecting folks? Well, for New Hampshire residents, that moment may have just arrived. State Police, after what must have been a meticulous investigation, have taken Christopher Daigneault, a 43-year-old from Derry, into custody. He’s accused, and it's quite a serious accusation, of being the orchestrator behind a sprawling gift card scam that frankly, left a lot of people feeling violated and, yes, financially bruised.

The alleged scheme? It was classic, really, but terribly effective. Daigneault, or whoever was on the other end of the line, would pose as various figures of authority—law enforcement, perhaps a government official—and then, with a cunning touch, convince his victims that they were in some kind of deep trouble. Maybe it was an overdue tax bill, a warrant for arrest, or some other fabricated urgency. And the solution, of course, was always the same: go out, purchase a slew of gift cards—think Target, Walmart, Apple, even those vanilla Visa cards—and then, here's the kicker, read the card numbers right over the phone. It's an old trick, but still works, sadly.

This wasn't just a one-off incident, you understand. The complaints started rolling in, detailing similar stories from April 29th through May 8th. The map of alleged incidents stretches across our beautiful state, from Concord to Hampton, Northwood, Plaistow, Seabrook, and Stratham. Just imagine, the sheer audacity of targeting so many different communities, leaving a trail of worry and loss. One can only wonder about the distress these calls caused, the fear of impending legal action or financial ruin that led people to comply.

And for those with a keen memory, the name Daigneault might ring a bell. In truth, this isn't his first dance with similar allegations. Back in 2022, he was connected to a remarkably similar gift card scheme, then operating out of Nashua. It seems a pattern emerged, a rather unfortunate, persistent one, preying on trust and, frankly, on good intentions. That history, you could say, adds a layer of solemnity to this latest arrest, doesn't it?

Now, he faces a litany of charges: theft by deception, and, significantly, organized retail crime enterprise. Currently, Daigneault is being held without bail, awaiting arraignment in Merrimack County Superior Court. But the story, it appears, isn't quite over. New Hampshire State Police, specifically Troop A, have hinted, rather strongly, that more arrests could be on the horizon as their investigation continues to unravel this intricate web. It's a reminder, for all of us, to always be on guard, and perhaps, to be just a little bit skeptical when an unexpected voice on the phone demands gift cards.