BPD Community Alert: Gift Card Scams

BPD Community Alert: As the holiday season and shopping begins, fraudsters will look to take advantage. Gift Card Scams are considered to be one of the common holiday scams.

These come in several forms. Scammers will instruct victims to purchase cards then send them the serial number and PIN on the back.

Scammers will also scratch the film strip off the back to get the PIN; cover it with a replacement sticker; then, wait for a victim to load it.

Scammers can also steal the value remotely by using malicious software.

It is recommended when purchasing gift cards to avoid the kiosks and purchase one from behind a counter or online from a legitimate store (i.e. Target Gift Card from target.com).

Reporting Holiday Scams: