We are in the busiest time for buying gift cards because the holidays are coming up fast. This also means it’s the busiest time for scammers trying to trick us into buying gift cards that won’t work for the people we give them to.
We’ve talked before about how scammers pretend to be from the IRS or other authority figures to get you to pay for things with gift cards. But scammers are getting even more clever and sophisticated. Here are some new gift card scams to watch out for.
How to spot tampered gift cards in a store
For years, people have tampered with gift cards that haven’t been bought yet. Usually, scammers take a gift card, find out the PIN, and then put it back on the shelf. They wait for someone to buy it and add money. Then, they keep checking the balance by calling the number on the back and drain the money as soon as it’s added.
But now, scammers are getting craftier by printing their own barcodes and sticking them over the real ones. When the card is activated and money is added, the money goes to the scammer’s card instead, leaving the gift card you give worth nothing.
To prevent giving a useless gift, check the gift cards carefully before adding any money. Make sure the barcode on the card matches the number on the package. Try peeling off the barcode to see if it comes off and compare it to others on the shelf to see if anything looks strange.
If you find a tampered gift card, take it to the customer service desk so no one else buys it. If you’ve already added money to a tampered card, contact the company that issued the card. You should also tell your bank, especially if you paid with a credit card, because you might be able to get a refund.
Learn about this scam on sneaky Apple gift cards
A recent viral TikTok video showed a woman who bought $100 Apple gift cards at Target and was scammed. When she got home, she found that the last few numbers of the card’s code were covered with white-out, and she couldn’t use the card. Also, she couldn’t get a refund because Target has a strict no-return policy on gift cards.
The lesson here is to always check any gift card you buy from stores because they can be tampered with easily. If you want to buy a gift card for a specific store, it’s safer to buy it online or directly from that store, especially if the cards are kept behind a glass barrier or counter. Gift cards that are out in the open where customers can handle them are not safe.
Be careful of offers for “free” gift cards in exchange for your information
Have you ever received a message saying, “Win a free $100 Amazon gift card!”? These are often scams that promise a great deal but aren’t real. They might ask for your personal information like your social security number, bank details, or for you to download a file to “transfer” the gift card.
It’s tricky because some offers for free gift cards are actually real. To tell the fake ones from the real ones, check the URLs, phone numbers, and email addresses they give you. Compare them with the contact details of the actual company. If they don’t match up, it’s probably a scam.
Another option is to call the company they claim to be and ask if they really have such a gift card offer. Or, remember this simple rule: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is a scam.