As the holiday season approaches, Southern California police are warning shoppers to be on the lookout for gift card scams.
“Scammers are tampering with gift cards on store shelves, stealing card details and depleting funds before their rightful owners can use them,” the Anaheim Police Department posted on its Instagram page Wednesday. .
Police also explained exactly how the criminals used up the gift cards.
Criminals steal voided gift cards from store shelves Criminals tamper with the packaging to reveal the card number and PIN code Cards are resealed and returned to the shelf to hide evidence of tampering Consumers purchase and activate gift cards at checkout, loading the gift card with the following information: Fraudsters monitor card balances and extract funds as soon as they are added Victims are unaware that their cards have been compromised and are left with depleted gift card balances The back of the gift card is shown in this image provided by the Anaheim Police Department via Instagram.
What can I do to avoid becoming a victim?
Shoppers should inspect the package for any scratches, cuts, or abrasions on the card or packaging and ensure that the entire card is inside the package and has not been tampered with.
When purchasing a card, shoppers must touch the full-sized card packaging inside or obtain the store’s permission to inspect the card prior to purchase.
Police are asking people to keep their receipts as proof of purchase and immediately report any suspected tampering to the gift card company and request that the funds be frozen or refunded.
“Have a fun, scam-free vacation! Share this post and spread the word 🎄✨,” the police department said.
