LASD - Altadena Station, Los Angeles County Sheriff

Jim McDonnell, Sheriff

Community: Tips on how to avoid gift card scams.

The old saying, "too good to be true", it probably is.

Be careful this holiday season, criminals are taking advantage of the of the popular trend of holiday gift cards.

Be wary of buying gift cards at auction. Craigslist, Letgo and Ebay are excellent places to buy and sell used items, but it is difficult to varify if the gift cards are valid or not.

Purchase gift cards directly from the business. Money may be saved with buying gift cards from third party vendors, again, they may not be valid cards.
Be carefuly purchasing cards from the store shelve.

Always carefully examine both the front and back of a gift card before you buy it. If you can see a PIN number, put the card back and get a different one. If a gift card looks like it could have been tampered with, don’t buy that gift card.
Always ask the store cashier to scan the gift card in front of you. This will guarantee that your card is valid when you buy it and that it reflects the balance you just charged it with. This will also protect you from crooks who exchange worthless cards for the cards you think you are buying.
Always keep your receipt as a proof of purchase as long as there is money stored on the gift card. Since many retailers can track where the gift card was purchased, activated and used, if the card is stolen, some retailers will replace the card for you if you have your receipt.
If possible, register your gift card at the store’s website. Although not all stores offer this option, you can uncover any misuse of your gift card sooner and report it more quickly.
Finally, never, ever give your Social Security number, date of birth or any other unneeded private information when you purchase a gift card. No reputable company will ask for this info.The old saying, "too good to be true", well it probably is.
This holiday season gift cards are more popular than ever. Criminals are taking advantage of this trend. Lets all work together to try and make your gift the best ever. Have a great Holiday season.

Be wary of buying gift cards at auction. Craigslist, Letgo and Ebay are excellent places to buy and sell used items. It can be difficult to verify if the gift cards are valid or not when buying online.

Purchase gift cards directly from the business. Money may be saved with buying gift cards from third party vendors; again, they may not be valid cards and difficult to verify.

Be careful when purchasing cards from the store shelve. Gift cards can be tampered with, sometimes by employees, inspect the card before purchase. If a gift card looks like it could have been tampered with, don’t buy that gift card.
Always keep your receipt. You can ask the cashier to scan the card to ensure it is valid, and always keep your receipt in case of fraud.

Protect your personal information. Stores will not need your social security number, birthdate, or personal information. When shopping online and personal information is necessary such as home address and phone numbers look for https:// in the address bar, the “S” stands for secure.