Reporting an unfortunate event: I found that in a new CVS store that most cards, except 2, have 7.95 fee. So I thought I found a deal. I bought both cards with 5.95 fees and only found out that both cards are tampered. 4 digits are intentionally marked out.

Called Incomm immediately and luckily the funds are still there. Hope I can get the replacement soon. I heard Incomm has been very slow to send out replacement cards.

Basically, the bad guys are very smart. They knew these 5.95 cards will be purchased first and they got me.

That's a bummer but no they weren't that smart - the tampering of those cards has nothing to do with price, these are just the older cards that were easy to successfully tamper and drain. The new 7.95+ ones have just come in are nearly impossible to tamper with and drain. The packaging and numbering has been enhanced and they require activating online or over the phone after purchase in order to work.

Never bought 7.95 yet. What's preventing the bad guy to activate the card number?

Assuming they can defeat the new tamper proof packaging, I suspect it won't be as feasible for them to do test 'activations' with the card information before the card is actually purchased without alerting InComm (since they don't know when the purchase will occur, they have to do it periodically to catch the right window to drain it before the user does) - InComm should disable the card from being purchased in theory if they see those premature activation attempts. But that's just my speculation.

Rakuten zeroed out all of my purchases close to $500. Bummer, but expected.

damn sorry bro

Just a DP: I did buy two tampered cards with $7.95 fees, in 'tamper proof' packaging. Opened the package and the 3- digit on back were scratched off. Pretty amazing

Was this for purchases that were still marked as "Pending" or for purchases that were already marked as "Confirmed" on Rakuten's site? I just checked my account and this happened to 3 of my S&S purchases that were still marked as "Pending".

It was Pending.

That is pretty amazing, damn. Was the mag strip wiped? I guess criminals always find a way.

perhaps an inside job at Incomm card factory

I've been seeing ineligible on my cashback site. I did bite the bullet and buy a 7.95er for under $500 TOTAL, ($475). We will see if it posts, says pending.

My one time I bought a $200 Wally card there, that came back inelgible on the cashback site

FWIW when I split my $2000 card purchase on 5 different credit cards, the last one has just ~$32 left and that one MOSTLY went through (a few were denied).

Have any of you figured out the "correct" way to open up the new $7.95 packages? Every time, I struggle to open it and worry that I will destroy the gc in the process of tearing the packaging open.