Thieves have found a new way to steal gifts, almost without lifting a finger. The latest scam is theft of balances of gift cards.
A recent entry on the Urban Legends Web site confirmed that this new form of consumer fraud is alive and growing, as described by an article in the Wall Street Journal.
The method is simple: Crooks copy numbers from gift cards hanging on store racks. Later, they call an 800 number on the backs of the cards to make sure the cards have been activated, if necessary, and to check the balances on the cards.
“When they discover activated cards, they use the card numbers to buy merchandise on a store’s web site,” the Journal reported.
Such thefts can be combatted by purchasing only hand-written gift certificates or gift cards that are kept behind a customer-service counter.
Some gift cards carry a personal identification number as added security. The PIN can be accessed only by scratching off the coating on the back of the card.
“Always check such cards for tampering before you purchase them,” the article advised.