Fraud Alert VGCs SoCal Ralphs
May 12, 2014, 12:55 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 10
Fraud Alert VGCs SoCal Ralphs
Just to let the community know, I purchased a $500 VGC from US Bank last week at Ralphs. The package looked fine. It was drained the next day at a Rite Aid in San Jacinto about 80 miles away from me. The card appears to have been cloned (there is no sticker over the back).
This has apparently been occurring at various SoCal Krogers/Vons/grocery stores as talked about on FW.
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/fina...90841/?start=0
It looks like all those cards were dumped at a rite aid in Hemet, CA so it looks like s/he has moved on dumping them at the rite aid in San Jacinto.
Just FWI so be careful and keep all your receipts! I have filed a dispute with Visa, and they said it has been happening a lot in SoCal.
This has apparently been occurring at various SoCal Krogers/Vons/grocery stores as talked about on FW.
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/fina...90841/?start=0
It looks like all those cards were dumped at a rite aid in Hemet, CA so it looks like s/he has moved on dumping them at the rite aid in San Jacinto.
Just FWI so be careful and keep all your receipts! I have filed a dispute with Visa, and they said it has been happening a lot in SoCal.
May 12, 2014, 4:57 am
#2
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SNA/LAX
Posts: 1,407
Just to let the community know, I purchased a $500 VGC from US Bank last week at Ralphs. The package looked fine. It was drained the next day at a Rite Aid in San Jacinto about 80 miles away from me. The card appears to have been cloned (there is no sticker over the back).
This has apparently been occurring at various SoCal Krogers/Vons/grocery stores as talked about on FW.
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/fina...90841/?start=0
It looks like all those cards were dumped at a rite aid in Hemet, CA so it looks like s/he has moved on dumping them at the rite aid in San Jacinto.
Just FWI so be careful and keep all your receipts! I have filed a dispute with Visa, and they said it has been happening a lot in SoCal.
This has apparently been occurring at various SoCal Krogers/Vons/grocery stores as talked about on FW.
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/fina...90841/?start=0
It looks like all those cards were dumped at a rite aid in Hemet, CA so it looks like s/he has moved on dumping them at the rite aid in San Jacinto.
Just FWI so be careful and keep all your receipts! I have filed a dispute with Visa, and they said it has been happening a lot in SoCal.
This isn't just at Ralphs, it happens all over. Individuals take off the backing, take a picture of it or write the numbers down, wait for you to load, and then use it.
You need to make sure that the backing is still in tack. If there is no backing, alert the store so they can take them off the shelves.
This happened last week for me in the midwest and they immediately threw all of them away.
May 12, 2014, 11:38 am
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Posts: 1,929
Not that it would be feasible to do before every single purchase, but if you now closely examine the packaging can you see any tampering ?
Any weird glue or paste used for repackaging ?
Or gummy cement of not the normal composition ?
Any weird glue or paste used for repackaging ?
Or gummy cement of not the normal composition ?
May 12, 2014, 11:49 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 920
I went through this at a Ralphs in Socal last month. 2 of my VGCs were compromised, both had serials that were 3 numbers (sequential ordering).
Nothing was off about the package.
Took me 3 weeks to get 2 replacement card and get this, 2 days later, one of those replacement card was compromised as well! Now waiting for it again... Be vigilant out there...
Nothing was off about the package.
Took me 3 weeks to get 2 replacement card and get this, 2 days later, one of those replacement card was compromised as well! Now waiting for it again... Be vigilant out there...
May 12, 2014, 11:57 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,500
I'll be curious what the original packaging of the US Bank VGC looks like. I guess since I normally buy Vanilla VGCs which don't have the back exposed it makes it a bit harder to picture it. I guess if US Bank VGCs are scanned at the register just like how the Staples VGCs from Metabank are scanned then I guess it makes sense.
May 12, 2014, 12:35 pm
#8
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 908
The GC at Vons / Staples requires the cashier to tear off the back to scan the gc barcode. How would the thief do that? The back is perforated. Once you tear it off, you can't put it back like new.
I know for Walmart and CVS gc, the cashier scans the barcode on the package. Scammers would somehow put used cards, etc inside the package and glue it back up.
I know for Walmart and CVS gc, the cashier scans the barcode on the package. Scammers would somehow put used cards, etc inside the package and glue it back up.
May 12, 2014, 1:45 pm
#10
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 55
I had a similar situation in SoCal recently as well.
Be Vigilant!
From looking very carefully at my compromised card, they use a razor to slice the cardboard, remove the card, copy down the numbers, and then reinsert the card and glue it back together again.
You would be totally unable to notice this unless you looked VERY carefully. The give away though is that once you open the packaging and remove the card there will be glue that isn't normally used and usually renders the card unusable. So one way to be be sure you don't get screwed is to remove the card and inspect it at the register before you pay. Albeit it strange looking, could save you a huge hassle.
Be Vigilant!
From looking very carefully at my compromised card, they use a razor to slice the cardboard, remove the card, copy down the numbers, and then reinsert the card and glue it back together again.
You would be totally unable to notice this unless you looked VERY carefully. The give away though is that once you open the packaging and remove the card there will be glue that isn't normally used and usually renders the card unusable. So one way to be be sure you don't get screwed is to remove the card and inspect it at the register before you pay. Albeit it strange looking, could save you a huge hassle.
May 12, 2014, 7:20 pm
#11
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,500
The GC at Vons / Staples requires the cashier to tear off the back to scan the gc barcode. How would the thief do that? The back is perforated. Once you tear it off, you can't put it back like new.
I know for Walmart and CVS gc, the cashier scans the barcode on the package. Scammers would somehow put used cards, etc inside the package and glue it back up.
I know for Walmart and CVS gc, the cashier scans the barcode on the package. Scammers would somehow put used cards, etc inside the package and glue it back up.
May 12, 2014, 7:48 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 10
I still cannot tell any difference between the packaging this one came in and the other ones I have bought.
It appears that US Bank VGCs are sequentially numbered. It is possible the scammers buy (or steal) the first one, record the number, and then just increment. Talking to US Bank on the phone, the CSR told me that the physical card was not used, just the number. However, I still don't understand how just the number can be used at a store.
It appears that US Bank VGCs are sequentially numbered. It is possible the scammers buy (or steal) the first one, record the number, and then just increment. Talking to US Bank on the phone, the CSR told me that the physical card was not used, just the number. However, I still don't understand how just the number can be used at a store.