|
       
100% Made in USA
JDM Design
FI Supports:
| |
GIFT CARD SCAM
I'd like to share with you some important information
regarding an ongoing GIFT CARD SCAM involving Lowes, Sears, and Home Depot,
especially. This is going on AS WE SPEAK if you just search your local
craigslist for gift cards being sold.
There is an organized crime movement that practices this type of crime. They are
very good at what they do and I've consulted with somebody who used to do this
sort of thing.
 | First step of the criminals is to steal people's credit
card numbers. |
| The next step is to buy gift cards with these stolen credit
card numbers. |
| The final step is to sell these gift cards on craigslist/etc
for cash. |
So lets say Stacy from Newport Beach suddenly had $4,000 total
charged to her credit card from Home Depot in Placentia. She's not going to even
know about the charge until she checks her statement. This gives at least 2
weeks of time for the gift card to be depleted.
So the next step after the criminals have somebody's CC is they post adds
SELLING multiple $500 gift cards for $440 or so. They then sell the gift card to
you perhaps through a third party who doesn't know what's going on... You buy
and scan the gift card, it works, it shows a balance and seems legit. That is
until Stacy finds out she has thousands of dollars charged on her credit card!
Thus, she quickly disputes it with her CC company, signs the affidavit, gets her
money back and then the gift card gets wiped out.
If you read the fine print on the gift card user agreement you will find out
these companies can wipe out a gift card with no reason what so ever.
Then lets say you think you are clever because you know the person's face and
have the guys license number who sold you that gift card... Well going to the
police won't do you any good because Sheriffs have better things to do and they
may just scold you for being so dumb as to buying a gift card from a stranger on
the internet. Also, do you think you can PROVE that the person who sold you that
gift card is the one that bought it with a stolen card? Probably not, and that's
just a taste of what your investigator will use to make you go away. Even Home
Depot's Loss Prevention officer may laugh in your face and make you feel like
you got suckered.
Anyways, I hope everyone uses their best judgment when buying gift cards and
your best bet (Other than avoiding gift cards like the plague) is to USE the
gift card BEFORE you pay that person cash. Use every penny of it immediately!!!.
This way those large corporations will take the loss and maybe they will realize
that this has become a problem and do something about it.
What happened to me when I stood up to home depot corporate? I was completely
put down by the legal department in Atlanta which specializes in ironing out
trouble makers. Home depot didn't become the nation's largest home improvement
corporation by being nice. What's shocking is they will say that this is new to
them and this never happens.
Anyways, I hope this does not discourage people from buying gift cards so I will
give them the EVIL option:
I will be the trouble maker and actually ENCOURAGE you to buy
boosted gift cards as long as you SPEND the gift card the moment you buy it.
Make sure you use ALL of the gift card and pay cash for any extra. Don't see
anything you like? Buy an expensive item that never goes on sale so you can
return it to the store for store credit later... Remember, Stacy gets her
money back. The credit card company plays the middle man and is not
responsible for any investigations, they just pull the money away from Home
Depot. So in the end, Home depot has to deal with the loss. They
just had $4,000 worth of merchandise walk out the door in the hands of innocent
loyal customers. What in the world is a 24 year old loss prevention
officer going to do about it when he does inventory and his store is missing 20
Makita 10.2V drills? He's just going to pray he doesn't lose his job, and
if he does then he can concentrate more on school. Home Depot employees
just want customers to stop bugging him, thus they re-direct responsibilities to
other people sending you on a blind rabbit hunt. I drove 50 miles once
just to go to a home depot to talk to a loss prevention child. He tells me
that he will call corporate and call me when he finds out more info. To
this day I'm still waiting for his phone call after reminding him 3 times.
Each time I remind him he says: "I still haven't found anything out, but
I'm still waiting for more information, most likely tomorrow I will call you".
Or the GOOD and safer / legitimate option:
Meet the seller at the store in front of the cameras and then ask the person you
are buying the gift card for his government issued I.D. and make sure it's not a
fake one.
Request the original receipt used to buy the gift card.
Finally, request to see the card that matches the payment used to buy that gift
card.
These three steps should quite possibly greatly reduce the chances of you
getting scammed.
IN addition, many people who have used these three steps will find that the
person selling them that $500 gift card will just walk away after you ask them
for an I.D.
If that's the case, congratulations.
|
