New Gift Card Scam Alerts Officials During Holidays

Scammers have a new trick up their sleeves this holiday season.

You may have already fallen victim to it without even knowing it.

Police say thieves are tampering with gift cards so your money winds up in their pockets.

Warsaw Police Department took to social media to warn the public of a rising scam. Scammers are now stealing codes from yet-to-be-purchased Apple gift cards and uploading them into their i-Tunes account, then quietly returning them to Walmart shelves specifically the store off U.S 30 in Warsaw.

“As soon as the cashier logs that or scans that card that’s immediately going into their iTunes account,” said Brad Kellar, Warsaw Police Department Patrol Captain / PIO.

Officials are seeing two different methods in use Open Window and Enclosed sleeve.

With the open window technique, scammers are pre-scratching the redemption code on gift cards, resealing them, and patiently waiting for buyers to load money onto them.

“With the enclosed sleeve they are simply inverting what the inside card is to what the outside is so those do not match up,” said Kellar.

Kellar tells WSBT Warsaw Police came across several tampered gift cards at Walmart stores that would have been more than $20,000 in loss.

Assisted by surveillance cameras, authorities have identified suspects believed to be roaming scammers traveling across states, rather than local people committing the crime.

The best way to protect your money is taking the time to check out gift cards for any flaws.

“Make contact with your cashier and say hey, I intend to buy this, but would you be okay with me opening this up and just looking this over before I have your scan it so I can verify or feel confident that there hasn’t been any manipulation,” said Kellar.

Authorities advise reaching out to your local police department if you become a victim of any gift card scam.

That allows them to document any potential connections.