A Sneaky New Gift Card Scam Is Now Targeting Texans

Thieves are the worst. Their latest scam involves using gift cards that we love to buy for an easy present for birthdays or other holidays. It's how they're able to steal that money that really brings out the deceptive and evil practices scammers use. Below is how they do it and how you can avoid becoming a victim.

Thieves have found a way to exploit the popularity of gift cards as presents (Federal Trade Commission). What they'll do is take a stack of the cards you see at any gift card kiosk in a store. The thieves will then open them up, copy down all the important numbers, and then reseal the cards in the original packaging. The thieves are able to monitor that card until it is purchased and drain the funds added to the card.

Gift Card Scam in Texas Right Now

When you are shopping for a gift card, inspect the packaging for any imperfections in the cardboard around the card. A lot of the time, the thieves will use a heat source to loosen the glue, which could cause some ripples in the packaging.

Also, look for any smudges on the packaging, as this could be residue from the resealing process. Be sure to keep the physical receipt in case there is an issue. Another way to avoid possible card draining is to buy a digital gift card. These can be purchased on the retailer's website and then sent electronically instead of a physical card.

Reporting a Scam to the Federal Trade Commission

The Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, has a whole website page dedicated to gift card scams. There are the tips explained above, other types of gift card scams, and lots of other information in regards to how thieves steal using gift cards.

This is not to scare you into never buying gift cards again. This is only to educate you on what these thieves are doing and how to protect yourself from losing your hard-earned money to these thieves.

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