NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Do you know who’s on the holiday naughty list? Scammers!
It’s worse than a lump of coal. Kim Harris sent her loved ones two $50 cards, but at checkout they were told there’s a zero balance.
“They were like, we're sorry, there's nothing here," she said. "So I was embarrassed for her because I was like, 'no, this is terrible.'”
It’s called the drain scam. Last year, 41,632 cases of gift card draining were reported. This resulted in a loss of $217 million. Here’s how it works. Crooks go to a store, copy the card number and activation code, then reseal the package.
When you load money on the card – it goes to Scrooge.
Before you buy, inspect the card.
“Run your finger over the card. Does it look like a sticker has been put over the barcode? Does it look like the package was opened and maybe glued back together?” explained Melanie McGovern with the Better Business Bureau.
Buy gift cards from behind the counter or buy a virtual gift card. And if you receive a gift card, use it ASAP. As you scroll through social media, some deals might seem too good to be true.
“Passive scrolling is the biggest way people lose money on social media," McGovern added. "Take the name of the website into any search engine or into bbb.org and type in the word fraud, scam or review and see what people are saying about it off the social media site.”
Watch out for this delivery text scam. It looks like the post office is saying there’s a problem with your upcoming delivery. Do not click on that link! Swindlers hope you’ll plug in your credit card information.
You can get tracking notifications, but you must first sign up.
Finally, it’s the season to give, but make sure you’re donating to a real charity! You can check Charity Navigator and Give.org to confirm the charity you choose is making the best use of your money.
And if you decide to donate to charity or cause on a crowdfunding page – like on Facebook or GoFundMe, make sure you know the person in charge of donations and be aware that many of these websites do keep a percentage of your donation.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at jennifer.kraus@newschannel5.com.
Journalism is at its best when we can shine a light on an issue that needs more attention. Once again, Hannah McDonald does this beautifully by highlighting the hardships of teens aging out of the foster care system. I learned something new in her reporting and am inspired by the work I AM NEXT is doing to make a difference. I think you will be too!
-Carrie Sharp
