OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) - An Oceanside mother is warning others after her 11-year-old son discovered his birthday gift card had been tampered with, leaving him without the $100 it was supposed to contain.
"Everything was sealed,” Jessica Sandoval said about the gift card her son Adrian received from his grandmother in April for his 11th birthday.
Adrian was excited to purchase some games with his gift, but quickly noticed something wasn't right.
"He yelled out, a little shocked. 'Mom, look at this gift card. It looks weird,'" Sandoval said. “He was devastated.”
Upon inspection, the gift card showed clear signs of tampering. The barcode on the back was on a sticker, likely placed there by a scammer. On the front of the card, the last four digits were scratched off.
"It's linked to possibly their account ... and they pretty much wiped out quickly," Sandoval said.
Adrian's grandmother purchased the gift card at a major department store in North County. Since she discarded the receipt and the purchase couldn't be confirmed, we aren’t identifying the store.
The incident comes amid a federal crackdown on gift card fraud. Last year, Homeland Security Investigations announced Project Red Hook, targeting a rise in gift card fraud connected to Chinese crime syndicates. The operation has resulted in dozens of arrests across the country and the confiscation of tens of thousands of gift cards.
Adrian’s discovery has not been linked to the operation, but the tactics used are similar.
One common tactic involves scammers accessing card information, returning the card to store shelves, then draining the funds when an unsuspecting customer activates the card.
"It's scary. You are trusting this place you're putting your money toward and now it's lost," Sandoval said.
Because the receipt was thrown away, Sandoval wasn't able to file a claim with the store. She hopes sharing her family's experience will help others avoid similar scams.
"When you put the card inside, you can see the print is off. The bar code on the outside is darker than the one inside,” she noted, pointing out one warning sign.
Sandoval advises shoppers to be more cautious when purchasing gift cards.
"Just definitely recommending slowing down, look at the card, and asking questions—and save your receipt," she said.
HSI officials recommend consumers be vigilant when purchasing gift cards, looking for visible tears or cuts in the packaging as well as discrepancies in brand logos or packaging design.
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