If you watch the news or have an email-box, you've undoubtedly seen warnings about gift card scammers who are draining the value from gift cards that were displayed publicly in retail stores. Although these gift card scam warnings are widespread, this type of gift card scam is currently quite rare.
Gift card scams abound. Yet, ScamBusters.org, a public service website that has been helping people protect themselves from Internet scams since 1994, warns that it's the little-known gift card scams that are actually the biggest threats this holiday season. In fact, there are three little-known gift card scams involving online action sites that pose a much bigger risk to consumers.
We'll explain what these bigger threats are in a moment. But first, let's take a quick look at the email warnings making the rounds:
--- Begin Email ---
The crooks have found a way to rob you of your gift card balance. If you buy Gift Cards from a display rack that has various store cards you may become a victim of theft.
Crooks are now jotting down the card numbers in the store and then wait a few days and call to see how much of a balance THEY have on the card. Once they find the card is "activated," they go online and start shopping.
You may want to purchase your card from a customer service person, where they do not have the Gift Cards viewable to the public.
--- End Email ---
As it turns out, these email warnings are, in fact, true. Crooks CAN rob you of the money on a legitimate gift card that is purchased from the publicly-displayed rack of a retail store.
In fact, the National Retail Foundation recently confirmed this scam, and said: "Reports about a new gift card scam detailing how consumers could lose money from gift cards if criminals steal the card numbers from the back of the card are accurate but somewhat misleading."
However, experts agree that there are three other gift card scams that pose a much bigger danger this Christmas season:
- Online auction websites where scammers offer used, fraudulent and counterfeit gift cards for sale.
- Online auction websites where scammers use stolen credit cards to buy real gift cards they sell for cash.
- Websites (both online auction and other ecommerce and classified sites) where scammers overstate the value of authentic gift cards so that buyers get cards worth less than they expect.
In other words, auction gift card scams now pose a much bigger threat than what you've been hearing on the news about gift cards displayed on public racks in stores.
Fortunately, it is quite easy to protect yourself from all of these gift card scams. You can find eight simple recommendations from ScamBusters.org on how to protect yourself from any gift card scam here.
http://www.scambusters.org/giftcard.html
Audri G. Lanford is the Co-Director of ScamBusters.org, a public service website that has been helping people protect themselves from Internet scams since 1994. Subscribe free to ScamBusters.org free weekly newsletter: http://www.scambusters.org
Tags: email, few days, consumers, scammers, crooks, retail store, christmas season, holiday season, internet scams, criminals, retail stores, store cards, gift cards
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