silvergoldmagazine.ca
MONEY MATTERS
NEW SCAM ALERT:
GIFT CARDS
Just when you think thieves and hackers have dreamed up
every possible way to scam money from you, think again! There’s
yet another scam to be aware of and it involves the previously
innocent gift card.
Now crooks are going after your gift card balance. One day
you’ve got a substantial balance and the next time you go to use
it, it’s at a zero balance.
Thieves target gift card display racks, grab a stack of gift cards,
snap a photo of the back of the card or jot down the card nu mbers
in the store and wait for the cards to be activated. They then call
to find the available balance and go online shopping. It’s not
only frustrating, it’s the height of violation. We’ve got important
tips to help protect you!
Important Tips to Prevent Gift Card Fraud
• Only purchase gift cards that are sold from behind a counter
by a salesperson, not on display racks. Have the store cashier
scan the gift card in front of you. This will guarantee that
your card is valid when you buy it and that it reflects the
balance you just charged it with.
• Scammers know that gift cards are a common present during
the holidays and are prepared to scam you right after the
holidays. This year opt for cash, a check or another gift
instead of gift cards.
• Do not buy gift cards that are being sold on auction or
exchange websites. Since this is a large source of gift card
EMAIL FRAUD ALERT
Banks will NEVER send you an email. If unsure, simply
“hover” your mouse pointer over the highlighted area,
and you’ll see that it’s a scam by the address it reveals,
without having to actually “click” on it.
fraud, these cheap gift cards may well be worthless to you,
and there’s a good chance they are stolen, counterfeit or used.
• Buy gift cards directly from the store issuing the gift card
or from their secure retailer’s website. If you do buy a gift
card online, make sure you buy it from the place where
you plan to use it.
• When purchasing gift cards, carefully examine both the
front and back of a gift card before you buy it. If you can
see a PIN number, put the card back and get a different
one. If a gift card looks like it could have been tampered
with, don’t buy that gift card.
• Your receipt is your proof of purchase as long as there is
money stored on the gift card. Since many retailers can track
where the gift card was purchased, activated and used, if
the card is stolen, some retailers will replace the card for
you if you have your receipt.
• If a retailer offers registration of your gift card on their
website, use this benefit straight away. Although not all
stores offer this option, you can uncover any misuse of your
gift card sooner and report it more quickly.
Another safe option is, instead of buying gift cards visit a
store and buy gift certificates for that particular. It is law now
in Canada that they must never expire. •
- With thanks to www.beenverified.com for this important fraud alert.
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