Pocono News Section

Thieves Draining Gift Cards

Thieves Draining Gift Cards - Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 5:32PM EST

Reported by: Jeff Chirico Wednesday, Dec 10, 2008 @ 05:32pm EST
Many people will be buying gift cards to give out at Christmas. But buyer beware. Many of those gift cards have become the target of a thief before it even leaves the store. Consumer reporter Jeff Chirico joins us to tell us how. Jeff?

Imagine going to cash in your holiday gift cards only to learn a thief beat you to it! That's exactly what's happening to consumers across the country.

Hustlers secretly cashing in your gift cards sometimes while the card sits wrapped under your tree. Serena Coleman says "it happened to me last Christmas, hahaha." Serena Coleman can laugh now but the $100 gift card she opened Christmas morning turned out to be worthless. "I think it's a crook they shouldn't even be here like my daughter say there should only be good people in the world but there not."

What happened to her is happening to others here and across the country. "I guess morals are not around any more." Swindlers in the store make note of the unique number on the back of the gift card then check on-line to see if the card has been activated. That happens the moment the consumer purchases the card. The thief then spends the gift card on the retailers’ website. “I guess it might be better to take a card from the back of the row then the front."

Both Wal-Mart and target acknowledged the problem telling us someone from their fraud departments would call us back. Neither did. It leaves already concerned holiday shoppers weary about gambling with gift cards. "I'm a little worried of gift cards anyway this year so many business closing up and disappearing."