How you can avoid a gift card draining scam that is on the rise
Published: Nov. 15, 2024 at 7:51 PM CST|Updated: Jun. 6, 2025 at 11:57 AM CDT
(InvestigateTV) — Whether it’s for a holiday or birthday, gift cards could be considered one of the most reliable last-minute gifts of all time.
However, scammers have found a way to loot gift cards of their funds before you can even use them.
It’s called a gift card draining scam and it involves fraudsters stealing gift card numbers and pins. Data from the Federal Trade Commission shows in the first half of 2024, Americans lost almost $3 million to this specific type of fraud alone.
A North Carolina man says this happened to him and now he wants to let others know about the scam.
Reporter Caroline Hicks explains how it works.
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