SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Gift cards remain a popular choice for holiday shoppers, offering convenience and flexibility for both givers and recipients. However, experts warn that these convenient presents are also prime targets for scammers.
According to the National Retail Federation, shoppers are expected to spend $29 billion on gift cards this holiday season, with the average card value ranging from $20 to $50.
"I love gift cards. I love giving them and I love getting them," said Liz Liljesterm, a shopper, reflecting on the sentiment of many consumers who appreciate the convenience these cards provide.
Gift cards continue to grow in popularity because they're convenient to buy, recipients can choose what they want, and they allow gift givers to control how much they spend. But experts say gift cards are also one of the easiest targets for scams.
Nicholas Behar, a professor of cybersecurity at the University of San Diego, explains how scammers exploit gift cards.
"What scammers are doing now is they'll actually go into the store and they'll take some gift cards off the rack and get those little numbers on the back. And put another sticker on it. So when you add the gift card or when somebody loads it, they're constantly checking and they can withdraw that money," Behar said.
How to protect yourself
If you're buying a gift card, Behar recommends getting cards that are locked up near a cash register counter or buying a digital gift card. He says you should always keep a copy of your receipt.
If you've received a gift card, he suggests checking the balance quickly and transferring the funds to your account as soon as possible.
"Take Amazon gift card as an example and you load it right into your account, that money is now in your account. So you don't have to worry about the gift card being empty. Once you've got the money off, you've got it in your Amazon account you've got it in your Starbucks account, then you have the money in the account. So it's less likely that the attacker is going to be able to access those funds," Behar said.
After you're done shopping, remember that in California, if the remaining balance on the card is less than $10, the store must give you the value in cash if you ask for it.
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