How to protect yourself from gift card scams

PITTSBURGH — Gift cards are a major target for scammers, and what’s worse, it’s nearly impossible to track the crime once your money is stolen. Here are some basic tips to follow to protect yourself.

One of the easiest and best ways to avoid getting scammed is to make sure the PIN code on the back of a card is not already scratched off when you buy it. Once a crook has those numbers, they put the card back on the rack, then wait for an unsuspecting customer to buy it and load money onto the card. Once you activate it, their goal is to get to the money before you do.

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Another way to protect yourself is to register your card after you receive it. You do give up some personal information, but longtime consumer advocate Mary Bach, chair of AARP’s Pennsylvania Consumer Issues Task Force, said she likes the added protection.

“That card is now connected to your name, your address, your email, and it does give you a little bit more security,” Bach said.

Another big red flag is someone calling you and demanding you pay them with gift cards. The Federal Trade Commission says that is always a scam.

“No government agency is ever going to ask you to pay your back taxes or some type of sheriff’s fine with a gift card,” Bach explained.

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Lastly, it’s best to use any gift cards as soon as possible to avoid fees and possible expiration dates. Luckily, by law, gift cards are not allowed to expire for at least five years, but you do have to watch out for “inactivity fees.” You can get hit with those if you don’t use a card within one year.

EXTRA MONEY SAVING TIP: If you know you’re going to have dinner out at a restaurant or make a big purchase at a big box store, think about buying gift cards to pay for it. Some supermarkets offer significant fuel points when you buy gift cards, so you can get that added perk for money you were going to spend anyway.

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