A practical and quick gift: the gift card. I am prepaid cards with a credit already loaded to use in an online store or platform. A simple solution that eliminates the risk of making a wrong gift. And in fact gift cards are now a great Christmas classic. However, the very success of gift cards has made them fertile ground for new scams.
The fraud is called gift card draining, the mechanism is simple: scammers withdraw gift cards not yet purchasedthey carefully scratch the protective band on the back to read the code and then close it, making the alteration almost invisible.
When an unsuspecting customer buys the gift card and activates it at the checkout, the criminal – who has already memorized the code – can monitor its status online. As soon as the credit becomes available, it transfers it, leaving the customer with one card formally valid but completely emptied.
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How the gift card scam works
Gift cards are a prime tool for fraud: they are easy to resell, difficult to track and often do not guarantee the same traditional payment protections. Criminals use different methods: selling fake cards online, already tampered cards in stores or scams that convince people to buy gift cards for others.
Second Amanda Wolf, responsible for Report Fraud, the phenomenon is difficult to quantify precisely due to under-reporting. However, the data suggests a significant increase: “When a new type of crime emerges, a certain increase is normal, but this is a serious problem that we are investigating, with an in-depth investigation expected in the next 12 months,” he explained to the BBC.
Protect yourself from scams: what to do to avoid falling into the trap
Before purchasing a gift card it is essential check ensure that the code, serial number and any security features are intact and show no signs of tampering. Suspicious scratches, raised stickers or damaged packaging are small details that can indicate an attempted fraud
It is good to buy gift cards only from reliable and recognized retailersavoiding little-known platforms or online advertisements at unusually advantageous prices which often hide scams or already compromised cards.
Not only that, when purchasing gift cards online it is recommended to use additional security systems such as two-factor authentication, avoid public Wi-Fi networks and prefer well-known sites, so as to reduce the risk of data interception or theft When faced with any anomaly, it is essential to act immediately, reporting the problem to the shop or the issuer of the gift card and, if necessary, to the bodies dealing with fraud and consumer protection.
