A warning about a new gift card scam called draining

Are gift cards on your holiday shopping list Beware there s a new scam where the balance on cards you buy may disappear before it can be used Related stories Content Doctors Why scammers love gift cards FTC launches new tools to fight gift card scams Howard Co casualties lost over to gift card scams in November It s called gift card draining According to a news release from the office of D C Attorney General Brian Schwalb scammers take an unpurchased gift card off the rack scratch off the back of the card to reveal the code and then cover it up again Once the card is bought and activated the scammer accesses the card online and steals the money on the card This holiday season District residents should watch out for sophisticated gift card draining scams that prey on shoppers who like to give gift cards as holiday presents Schwalb commented in the news release How can you protect yourself Schwalb s office declared there are a minimal solutions First check the gift card precisely If anything looks out of place or there is any damage to the card don t buy it It is recommended to buy gift cards that are locked away at stores instead of out on the rack Schwalb s office also suggests using a credit card to buy the gift card If you are ripped off your credit card company may be able to help you get your money back D C s Department of Insurance Securities and Banking Commissioner Karima Woods mentioned if you are a victim you should assessment it to her office and the attorney general s office Gift cards may seem like a safe and simple approach to gift giving but scammers are finding new avenues to drain their value before they re even used Woods explained in the news release The D C Department of Insurance Securities and Banking s phone number is - - The OAG s Office s Consumer Protection number is - - or you can file a complaint online here Source