Archive for fraud

Major Retailers, Gift Card Networks, and Law Enforcement Unite for 2025 Holiday Gift Card Fraud Awareness Campaign

Posted in Commentary with tags , on October 1, 2025 by itnerd

As the 2025 holiday shopping season approaches, an alliance of leading retailers, card networks, and law enforcement agencies is launching a nationwide social media campaign to combat the alarming surge in gift card fraud. The campaign, led by the Gift Card Fraud Prevention Alliance (GCFPA), aims to educate, empower, and protect consumers during the busiest shopping time of the year.

From October 1 through December 25, holiday shoppers will see daily tips and information on the latest scams on LinkedIn and Instagram platforms, spotlighting the tactics scammers use and steps every consumer can take to avoid falling victim. This collaborative effort marks a landmark partnership among industry giants, national and state retail associations, and public safety organizations, all dedicated to protecting the public from gift card-related crimes.

Gift Card Fraud on the Rise: A United Response

According to recent reports, gift card fraud costs consumers millions of dollars annually, with incidents peaking during the holiday season. Scammers frequently target unsuspecting shoppers, tricking them into purchasing gift cards as payment for a fake debt or tampering with cards in stores and draining card funds as soon as the cards are purchased.

Recognizing the urgent need for greater awareness, retailers—including national chain stores, grocery outlets, and specialty merchants—are joining forces with major gift card networks, state retail associations, and local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to spread vital information.

Empowering Shoppers with Knowledge and Action

The campaign’s social media posts will focus on these essential warnings:

  • Legitimate organizations will never ask you to pay fees or debts with gift cards.
  • Never buy gift cards to pay a debt or to bail someone out of jail.
  • Inspect gift cards carefully before purchasing. If a card looks altered, report it and choose another.
  • Check Gift Card Balances Safely! Scammers set up fake websites and buy Google ads to trick you into entering your gift card details. Always use the official retailer’s site to check your card balance.
  • Report gift card scams to local police, state attorneys general, and the FTC. Every report matters.

By sharing clear, actionable guidance and real-world examples, partner organizations hope to reduce   fraud and ensure shoppers enjoy a safe, stress-free and joy-filled holiday season.

A Shared Commitment to Consumer Protection

This collaborative campaign represents a shared commitment by retailers, gift card issuers, and law enforcement to stand together against fraud. Gift card fraud isn’t just a small-time scam—it’s often the work of organized retail crime rings. These groups use sophisticated tactics to target consumers. The GCFPA is working with a diverse group of stakeholders to keep gift cards safe.

How to Get Involved

Consumers are encouraged to follow the RILA Communities Foundation on LinkedIn and @ProtectMyGiftCard on Instagram for daily tips and updates throughout the campaign. For more information or to report a scam, contact local law enforcement, state attorney general’s offices, or visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website.

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Hey IT Nerd! The CBC Says That My Credit Card Info Is Easily Stolen Using Smartphones. How Do I Protect Myself?

Posted in Tips with tags , , on April 25, 2013 by itnerd

I’ll start by explaining where this question comes from. The CBC reported yesterday that credit and debit cards with RFID chips can easily be accessed using smartphones and apps that grab this sort of info. This is called “skimming” and this is something that is common in Europe with not only credit cards, but with RFID enabled passports. I’m not surprised by this as I once had a incident several years ago where I was buying a coffee at Tim Horton’s and I accidentally paid for it using my MasterCard rather than the cash I was intending to use due to the fact that my wallet with my credit card in it was close to the RFID scanner. Not good.

So, how do you stop this from happening? Here’s what I did. I got a wallet that blocks RFID transmissions. ThinkGeek.com has the one that I am currently using. Since Canada is moving towards using RFID enabled passports, I also decided to be ahead of the curve and I got a RFID blocking passport billfold as well for myself and my wife. Speaking of my wife, she got a RFID blocking wallet as well from this site.

Seeing as there are criminals who want this information, it makes sense that you do all you can to protect yourself.

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Symantec Caught Up In Indian Credit Card Scam….. And It’s Caught On Tape

Posted in Commentary with tags , , on March 20, 2009 by itnerd

If you’re thinking of renewing the subscription of your copy of Norton Internet Security or some other Symantec product, you may want to think again. According to the BBC, an agent inside an Indian call center that handles renewals for Symantec is selling credit card numbers on the black market for as little as $10 a card. The BBC was able to buy these card numbers and get the transaction captured on hidden camera. From there they decided to follow the trail back to the holders of those cards:

The BBC team contacted the owners of these cards and warned them that their details were now being bought and sold in India.

Three of those customers had, within hours of each other, bought a computer software package by giving their credit card details to a call centre over the phone.

Within hours of making the purchase, their details were fraudulently sent on to the reporters.

One of the victims said he was “disturbed” at what had happened.

Symantec for its part had this to say:

“We are investigating how this incident happened and will take any appropriate steps to address any opportunities for improvement in our processes.

“We have engaged with the local law enforcement officials in India and will cooperate fully with that investigation. We are in the process of reviewing all possible options to manage this third party call centre, including moving away from it.”

A spokeswoman stressed that “rigorous security measures” are put in place at call centres. For example, staff are not allowed to take electronic devices, memory sticks, pens or pencils to their desks. Internet and email access is also banned.

I guess those “rigorous security measures” that are in place didn’t work all that well. After all, it looks like one agent was able slip by them and go to town. One has to wonder if similar scams aren’t running anywhere else in call centers that Symantec and others use?

I took a look this morning for any mention of this on the Symantec website. There wasn’t any. Not that I’m shocked by that as I would really be surprised if they did come clean on that. After all, they are a security company and they have to appear perfect or their customers will shop elsewhere. Having said that, this story does appear to be getting traction via Google News. So I suspect Symantec will have to come out with something soon to reassure its customers.

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