Posted on 12/17/2023 9:48:45 AM PST by dennisw
We bought a physical tracfone card to top off our data, only to find out it was invalid- the card we bought had a no return policy too- didnt realize until we ran into the problem- some scam- sell invalid cards then refuse to compensate-
This is why we cannot have nice things.
Time to start executing these people.
I’ve had three problems with gift cards. One was a Macy’s card given to my husband from his co-workers when he retired. Went to use it about 10 months after we got it and nothing on the card. Lots of back and forth with Macy’s including phone calls and trips to the local Macy’s. The ad min from hubby’s office had receipts and the local Macy’s finally fixed.
Second was Sam’s Club. Bought GC’s during the Covid crap and put them away. Went to use them about a year later and one of the cards ($100) was empty. Had the receipt as I bought online. Several trips to Sam’s Club and they finally fixed. There is a disconnect between the online and in store purchasing and in store couldn’t access my online purchases. It was weird. Associate told me it was up to each store manager whether they fix or not.
Third was Walmart. My mom hands me a pile of GC’s after she’d been in assisted living several years. It was a mix of GC’s including one from Walmart. Went online and found balances on all the cards except Walmart. Went in store and they could do nothing and did nothing.
If you do get a card at a store, immediately verify the balance there at the store on your cellphone. If it’s zero, then you can show them the balance and prove that the card is bogus.
Even if they have the numbers, how are the crooks able to use the cards without the card physically in their possession? How do they know when a card has been loaded with a cash value and what the cash value is?
“Impress your friends, give them a Gift Card from Walmart!”
Somehow it just doesn’t have that good “ring” to it.
Maybe it is time to return to simply giving cash instead of gift cards. I would suggest gift certificates but those are probably forged so often stores no longer issue them
Target could display sample cards. The clerk then could give out the real ones. Any tampering then Target employees would be the guilty ones.
I’m assuming this article is reporting a problem that exists only with store gift cards, not Visa or Mastercard gift cards that can be spent anywhere.
Like they do with cigarettes. Soon there will be nothing on the shelves.
I read that Alibaba sells silver scratch off strips so the card looks completely intact.
%$#&^ Red Chinese
So rather than a gift card give a check. No more problems.
He phoned the friends in his address book, and shut down the scam before anyone lost money.
Avoid gift cards all together and just give cash or check.
You’re exactly right about repainting it. I heard about some scammers in Kalifornistan caught with 4000 stolen gift cards that they’d repainted over the pin
Happened to me. They scratched off one number from the card ID number. And the whole security code.
The authorities caught guys from a ring in Commiefornia. Apparently, once they drain the account...the money went to banks in China.
Supposedly the sinners dissolve the glues holding the package together then deface the card numbers so the victim can’t use the card. Then they expertly glue the card back together and return it to the store. Then they hack the gift cards bank computers and find out when the card has been purchased and they activate it. Very intelligent, but it will send them to hell. Not a good tradeoff.
I got nailed with a Vanilla brand visa card. The store took all of them off the floor after I showed them the evidence.
My bank teller told me that this kind of thievery is big at Christmas time. The store told me the same.
They take the card package from the store, dissolve the glues holding it together...get the card ID number, get the security code...then they deface the card so the buyer can’t activate the card. Then they reassemble the package expertly and put it back in the store. They hack the bank which holds the funds and find out when the card was bought and for how much. Then they activate the card and drain the funds.
In a small store with one person at the point of sale, I could imagine they don’t have to hack the bank if the store owner is part of the criminal team. Cause the owner would know (e.g.mark the card package with a smudge on the edge) when the card is bought and for what amount.
Good idea...keep under lock and key...it would take an inside job...I am afraid that whoever is doing it could sneak into the stash, and tamper with the cards..and then an innocent cashier would be blamed.
These criminals should be put in hard labor for the government till they pay off (or save the government the money) their theft at a rate of 4 times the amount stolen. Or jail till they’re 70 years old. Government taxes should be reduced by how much money the government saves on convicted criminal labor.
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