SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. — The Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office is working to make sure the Grinch doesn't steal Christmas this year by warning people of a popular scam that could leave people without money.
It is called the gift card draining scam, which leaves gift card buyers with an empty balance despite having paid for the card. This is because scammers copy the numbers on the gift card and security codes before resealing it, making it hard to notice it's been tampered with. Later, when another person purchases the card and puts money on it, the scammer then takes the money or "drains" the card of its funds.
The sheriff's office said this is how you can protect yourself from this scam:
- Make sure the gift card is sealed and the protective cover over the pin is intact.
- Ensure the gift card doesn't appear to be tampered with.
- Keep the store receipt in case the gift card you are purchasing is found to have been compromised.
- If a purchased gift card is found to be compromised, immediately report it to the gift card company directly to request a freeze on the card and request a refund.