Gift cards are an easy and popular way to give gifts to loved ones for the holidays.
However, it’s also the season for scammers—criminals who want to take advantage of your gift card purchases. Gift card scams are one of the fastest-growing frauds affecting consumers today.
Scammers use multiple methods to deceive buyers. One tactic involves taking gift cards home that are in a case or envelope, carefully removing them, cutting off the tops, and then putting the card back while re-gluing the case or envelope to make it appear untouched. Scammers may also scratch off the cover on the back of the card to obtain the card number. When the tampered card is returned to the store, it is purchased by an unsuspecting consumer, allowing the scammer to steal the funds.
Here’s what you need to check when purchasing a gift card:
- For exposed cards, ensure the numbers on the back are not scratched off.
- For cards enclosed in an envelope or case, ask to open the packaging to verify the top isn’t cut off and the numbers are intact—this request should not be an issue.
- Only buy gift cards from legitimate organizations, not from strangers.
- Report any suspicious activity and track any packages you are expecting.