Originally Posted by
bklgafly
Assuming my email account isn't hacked, how much risk am I taking here? is it plausible for thieves/hackers to figure out some or all of my gift card numbers?
Yesterday a shady character came up to me inside a HD and tried to sell me "discounted" HD gift cards. He had a whole stack. I didn't think it prudent to ask if he was "making" them or stealing them.
A couple years ago I lost several hundred dollars when my e-gift Sears cards were drained a couple thousand miles away. I later found out PayPal Digital Gifts was reportedly hacked and my card numbers were some of many that suffered the same fate. PPDG, PayPal, eBay, and Sears all denied any responsibility and said I could not prove I didn't give the code to someone else to use. My point is that most any GC can be compromised and my opinion is that electronic ones are even harder to recoup. Don't expect any help from HD if something goes wrong.
All that said, I regularly buy a $500 HD gift card at OM/OD for personal projects. I use them within a week or two and have not had a problem. It's just that your amount and timeline makes the risk excessive to me.