Imagine arriving at the checkout line to use a gift card, only to realize the card is empty. It's the latest way scammers are hitting consumers, and it’s happening frequently.
Now, one woman is suing Walmart over it.
Although the company is not behind the scam, the woman claims Walmart is not doing enough to prevent these scams from happening.
How do these scams work? Well, the crooks take the gift cards and remove the strip, revealing the card numbers and codes. Then, they’ll put a replacement strip over the card, so it doesn’t look like it was tampered with.
Consumer Reports says examining a gift card closely before you buy it can save you from a big headache later.
If the strip is crooked or has residue from a larger piece of tape, don’t purchase it. If possible, don’t buy gift cards off the rack; instead purchase the card online or ones that come in secure packaging.
And once you buy a card, make sure to change the pin right away.
