Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
The money on gift cards is like cash – once it’s spent, you almost certainly can’t get it back. That’s why requests for payment by a gift card are typically part of grandparent, tech support, and impostor scams.
If you only remember one thing, remember this: if anyone demands that you go purchase a gift card to pay a debt, bill or fee for service, or to help a friend or relative in trouble; it’s a scam.
Gift cards have also become one of our favorite ways to mark birthdays and holidays. But be cautious when buying or using gift cards, because scammers have come up with novel ways to drain the value of gift cards.
A common trick is for thieves to compromise gift cards hanging on store racks. Often, they expose the PIN on the back, and then cover it back up with a replacement sticker. When someone buys and loads a compromised card, the scammer is notified, and drains the value from the card.
Carefully examine any gift card you are buying at a store. It’s safer to buy from places that keep gift cards behind the counter or, if sold on racks, in well-sealed packaging. It’s safer to buy a card directly from the business where it can be used.
Fraudsters are also on resale or auction websites, ostensibly offering goods at an attractive discount. Once they get you interested in buying, they’ll ask you to pay with a gift card. As soon as they get the card number and PIN, they vanish, and so does the money on the card.
Another ploy is the phony giveaway. You get an email or text message, supposedly from a familiar store or organization, saying you’ve won a gift card. To claim it, you just need to provide contact information, click through to a website, or answer a few survey questions. The scammers can then install malware on your computer, or use your data for identity theft.
Delete any unsolicited email or text messages offering you a gift card, without responding. Don’t give personal information to anyone in exchange for a gift card.
If you think you have fallen victim to any type of scam, call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360 for guidance and support, or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at http://www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.
