GIFT CARD SCAM REPORTED

It’s the holiday season and you’re probably seeing racks of gift cards at stores for everything from hamburgers to electronics. The value of these cards varies but the larger amounts are considerable.

A new scam has been reported that we have as yet been unable to confirm. However caution is warranted when buying gift cards off a rack in a store. We have received reports that fraudsters are using cell phones to photograph bar codes and other information on the back of gift cards. Upon returning to the store the fraudster can see that a specific card or group of cards has been sold. Using information on the card the card is activated and the account drained. Fraudsters are fully aware that in most cases these gift cards will sit under a Christmas tree until the end of the holiday given the thief plenty of time to act.

Caution is warranted when buying gift cards from a rack in a store.