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December 12, 2006

Zach's post about gift cards sold on eBay reminded me of an email warning I received recently. In contrast to the many false alarms and bogus scares out there, this one was verified by Snopes.com as a real threat to consumers. There are several ways by which thieves have been stealing from people who buy gift cards. Since everyone reading this is likely to either give or receive a gift card this year, I recommend you read the article. But here are the main points to avoid becoming a victim of gift card fraud:

-Do not buy gift cards from eBay or other online third-party sellers. Buy only from the web site of the retailer which the gift card is for. You may think you're getting a bargain, but you might be buying a worthless, empty card.

-When buying gift cards in person, make sure that the PIN on the back (used for online shopping) has not been exposed. Also, ask the cashier to scan the card to verify that it contains the full amount.

Posted by Eric Seymour at December 12, 2006 08:53 AM

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