Apr 13, 2015, 12:55 pm
Last edit by: phant0m
************Gift Card Fraud Alert************
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/
How can I protect myself?
1) Do not buy a card that has been opened or looks tampered with. Inspect all packaging thoroughly before purchasing. Many posters say that the packaging looks pristine, but the glue seems excessive once opened. Open the package to inspect the glue before you pay for it, if the cashier allows that.
2) Use the card quickly. The card has no value until YOU add money. If you spend your funds before the fraudster figures out that it's loaded, you win. Or at least register your card. That might give you another layer of security but beware it might NOT be bulletproof.
3) Keep your receipts and packaging until your card is liquidated. You will need the receipt to make a claim.
I'll add a few more from the school of hard knocks (also now known as the school of the paranoid MSer)....
4) If it's the only card of its type left on the rack, should you buy it or not? Consider: did the fraudster remove all the other cards so some sucker would quickly come along quickly and buy the card he has placed there purposefully?
5) A corollary to #4: Should you buy the top card in a stack of cards, or dig deeper and pick out one a distance from the top? Did the fraudster put the card he wants some sucker to buy at the top of the stack so it would sell quickly and he could do his evil deed?
6) Open card packages soon after purchase. Don't wait a few days. If anything looks amiss (too much glue inside the pack, too little glue inside, glue in the wrong location, mag stripe doesn't look right, some card numbers illegible), call the 800 number on the back of the card immediately to report it and ask about a replacement.
Each link of Gift Card MS:
1. Gift Card issuer: Vanilla, Metabank, US Bank, Green Dot etc. There can be data hack. It is rare.
2. GC Merchant: grocery and drug stores. Online GC sellers (Simon Mall, Gift Card Mall etc.). The data hack is possible, but rare.
3. Shipping: GCs can be stolen. But this is not fraud.
4. GC Cash Out: Walmart, Dollar General, Family Dollar, CVS etc. This is very rare.
For unsold GCs with bar code exposed, the store is required to destroy the GCs. Fraud can happen when the unsuspecting store staff return the unsold GCs back to the shelf. But it is very rare to have a batch of GCs all tampered and returned to the store shelf.
Here is a web site with information about gift card fraud:
http://www.tripwire.com/state-of-sec...-so-lucrative/
Here are some stores where FT members have experienced fraud:
List of Stores to avoid or be Alert:
(1) Reported by IWOL in So Cal:
VONS => Ventura Blvd & Reseda
Reported by Lovenola:
Ralph's in Downey at 9200 Lakewood Blvd.
Ralph's in Pasadena at 211 E. Foothill Blvd.
Ralph's in Monrovia at 1193 Huntington Dr.
3) Reported by domino007
Ralphs in 13321 Jamboree Rd, Tustin
Ralphs in Irvine on Alton, Walnut and Irvine Blvd
Reported by DaveInLA:
Ralphs in Brea- 305 W Imperial Hwy. VGC was purchased in 12/2014.
Reported by 46sky:
Ralphs in Culver City on Venice Blvd - VGC purchased 2/2015.
Reported by Chrisflyer66:
Ralphs in San Diego on Sports Arena - VGCs purchased in 2014-2015.
Ralph's - 1435 W Chapman Ave, Orange, CA 92868 - Purchased 12/2019
Seems to me that only People in so.Cal are reporting
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/
How can I protect myself?
1) Do not buy a card that has been opened or looks tampered with. Inspect all packaging thoroughly before purchasing. Many posters say that the packaging looks pristine, but the glue seems excessive once opened. Open the package to inspect the glue before you pay for it, if the cashier allows that.
2) Use the card quickly. The card has no value until YOU add money. If you spend your funds before the fraudster figures out that it's loaded, you win. Or at least register your card. That might give you another layer of security but beware it might NOT be bulletproof.
3) Keep your receipts and packaging until your card is liquidated. You will need the receipt to make a claim.
I'll add a few more from the school of hard knocks (also now known as the school of the paranoid MSer)....
4) If it's the only card of its type left on the rack, should you buy it or not? Consider: did the fraudster remove all the other cards so some sucker would quickly come along quickly and buy the card he has placed there purposefully?
5) A corollary to #4: Should you buy the top card in a stack of cards, or dig deeper and pick out one a distance from the top? Did the fraudster put the card he wants some sucker to buy at the top of the stack so it would sell quickly and he could do his evil deed?
6) Open card packages soon after purchase. Don't wait a few days. If anything looks amiss (too much glue inside the pack, too little glue inside, glue in the wrong location, mag stripe doesn't look right, some card numbers illegible), call the 800 number on the back of the card immediately to report it and ask about a replacement.
Each link of Gift Card MS:
1. Gift Card issuer: Vanilla, Metabank, US Bank, Green Dot etc. There can be data hack. It is rare.
2. GC Merchant: grocery and drug stores. Online GC sellers (Simon Mall, Gift Card Mall etc.). The data hack is possible, but rare.
3. Shipping: GCs can be stolen. But this is not fraud.
4. GC Cash Out: Walmart, Dollar General, Family Dollar, CVS etc. This is very rare.
For unsold GCs with bar code exposed, the store is required to destroy the GCs. Fraud can happen when the unsuspecting store staff return the unsold GCs back to the shelf. But it is very rare to have a batch of GCs all tampered and returned to the store shelf.
Here is a web site with information about gift card fraud:
http://www.tripwire.com/state-of-sec...-so-lucrative/
Here are some stores where FT members have experienced fraud:
List of Stores to avoid or be Alert:
(1) Reported by IWOL in So Cal:
VONS => Ventura Blvd & Reseda
Reported by Lovenola:
Ralph's in Downey at 9200 Lakewood Blvd.
Ralph's in Pasadena at 211 E. Foothill Blvd.
Ralph's in Monrovia at 1193 Huntington Dr.
3) Reported by domino007
Ralphs in 13321 Jamboree Rd, Tustin
Ralphs in Irvine on Alton, Walnut and Irvine Blvd
Reported by DaveInLA:
Ralphs in Brea- 305 W Imperial Hwy. VGC was purchased in 12/2014.
Reported by 46sky:
Ralphs in Culver City on Venice Blvd - VGC purchased 2/2015.
Reported by Chrisflyer66:
Ralphs in San Diego on Sports Arena - VGCs purchased in 2014-2015.
Ralph's - 1435 W Chapman Ave, Orange, CA 92868 - Purchased 12/2019
Seems to me that only People in so.Cal are reporting
Gift Card Fraud !!!
Jan 26, 2016, 11:05 pm
#721
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 827
So, what is cutoff dollar threshold before any of you would risk lighting your card on fire by just disputing the charges instead of dealing with the gift card claims process BS? I am thinking mine is around $10k, but I'm not sure. It would also be card dependent of course.
Jan 27, 2016, 9:30 am
#722
Moderator: Travel Buzz
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Sunny San Diego
Posts: 3,101
So, what is cutoff dollar threshold before any of you would risk lighting your card on fire by just disputing the charges instead of dealing with the gift card claims process BS? I am thinking mine is around $10k, but I'm not sure. It would also be card dependent of course.
Jan 27, 2016, 10:03 am
#724
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 827
Hmm, I guess I never considered that angle, the fact that the specific store would have to deal with a chargeback.. For a local store, my number would probably increase a bit, and the police report would come sooner..
I would endeavor to keep the store out of it as long as possible, other than perhaps just letting them know I had gotten some compromised cards from them.
Tough question.
I would endeavor to keep the store out of it as long as possible, other than perhaps just letting them know I had gotten some compromised cards from them.
Tough question.
Feb 9, 2016, 4:36 pm
#725
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 12
My $500 VGC purchased from a Ralphs in SoCAL was used to buy something online at Walmart. When I called Walmart, they said they could not help me at all, even after I offered to give all the info on the Prepaid VGC.
How is it that Walmart cannot tell me where the card was used?
I called the number on the card the same day while the charge was pending and they said they could not stop the charge from going through. I could not use the VGC at all.
I raised a dispute on the same call and they keep on sending me paper to sign and then they don't receive it. 3rd time I faxed it over and they said I have exceeded the 60 day period for dispute.
The most concerning thing is that the card was in pristine condition. I have been very careful with these cards after reading this thread, so I detected the fraud right while it was happening but I still could not stop loosing money.
When I called thie number and escalated the call, the supervisor said according to them the charges were authorized. I asked them if they could give me any information about the purchase and they said they knew as much as I did. When I asked them how they could figure out the charges were authorized just by looking at a $500 purchase at Walmart.com without knowing where and when the purchase was made from and shipped to, they said they did not have that information.
At this point I am not even sure who except MS'rs use this card as this is a surefire way to loose money.
How is it that Walmart cannot tell me where the card was used?
I called the number on the card the same day while the charge was pending and they said they could not stop the charge from going through. I could not use the VGC at all.
I raised a dispute on the same call and they keep on sending me paper to sign and then they don't receive it. 3rd time I faxed it over and they said I have exceeded the 60 day period for dispute.
The most concerning thing is that the card was in pristine condition. I have been very careful with these cards after reading this thread, so I detected the fraud right while it was happening but I still could not stop loosing money.
When I called thie number and escalated the call, the supervisor said according to them the charges were authorized. I asked them if they could give me any information about the purchase and they said they knew as much as I did. When I asked them how they could figure out the charges were authorized just by looking at a $500 purchase at Walmart.com without knowing where and when the purchase was made from and shipped to, they said they did not have that information.
At this point I am not even sure who except MS'rs use this card as this is a surefire way to loose money.
Feb 10, 2016, 10:39 am
#727
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Posts: 1,931
Walmart cannot disclose such information to an unknown party; as far as they know, you could be the fraudster.
Feb 10, 2016, 10:44 am
#728
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Posts: 1,931
I called the number on the card the same day while the charge was pending and they said they could not stop the charge from going through.
I raised a dispute on the same call and they keep on sending me paper to sign and then they don't receive it. 3rd time I faxed it over and they said I have exceeded the 60 day period for dispute.
I raised a dispute on the same call and they keep on sending me paper to sign and then they don't receive it. 3rd time I faxed it over and they said I have exceeded the 60 day period for dispute.
Feb 28, 2016, 1:26 pm
#729
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Wyndham Diamond, DL PM, Marriott Platinum, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,305
Fraudulent transactions on my prepaid gift card
I bought a $500 prepaid GC last week. Unfortunately, the card was not loaded properly and I had to fax the issuer my card number with receipt of my purchase. I got a call from them within 20 minutes of faxing it that they have loaded my card with $500 (this was on Friday). I was traveling on Saturday and checked my GC and pretty much most of the $500 has been drained by purchaes at Circle K and CVS.
Has anyone gone through this and what steps do I need to take to resolve this?
Has anyone gone through this and what steps do I need to take to resolve this?
Feb 29, 2016, 3:44 am
#730
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Posts: 1,931
Feb 29, 2016, 7:39 am
#731
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SAN
Programs: Delta Gold. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Explorist.
Posts: 1,683
I bought a $500 prepaid GC last week. Unfortunately, the card was not loaded properly and I had to fax the issuer my card number with receipt of my purchase. I got a call from them within 20 minutes of faxing it that they have loaded my card with $500 (this was on Friday). I was traveling on Saturday and checked my GC and pretty much most of the $500 has been drained by purchaes at Circle K and CVS.
Has anyone gone through this and what steps do I need to take to resolve this?
Has anyone gone through this and what steps do I need to take to resolve this?
I think at this point, you need to contact the card issuer (phone number should be on the back of the card) and explain what happened. They will probably send you paperwork to file a dispute. If they deny your dispute, then you might want to submit a complaint to CFPB. That is what got my money back.
Feb 29, 2016, 8:48 am
#732
Moderator: Travel Buzz
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Sunny San Diego
Posts: 3,101
I filed a dispute around January 1, for 8 cards from the same Staples, that all had fraud. I haven't heard back. I did file a police claim, too. How long does the replacement or denial take?
Feb 29, 2016, 8:54 am
#733
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Wyndham Diamond, DL PM, Marriott Platinum, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,305
Feb 29, 2016, 8:56 am
#734
Moderator: Travel Buzz
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Sunny San Diego
Posts: 3,101
Thanks to ChrisFlyer, I looked this up as my next step:
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/#credit-card
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/#credit-card
Feb 29, 2016, 9:09 am
#735
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Wyndham Diamond, DL PM, Marriott Platinum, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,305
Never filed a police claim before. How much time does it take and do you have to go to a police station? What information did they ask?