Photo: DNY59 / iStock / Getty Images
(UNDATED) -- Gift cards are a go-to holiday gift, but imagine finding the balance at zero before you ever use it.
It’s called gift card draining. Scammers hit stores, quietly grab cards off the rack, and record the numbers, sometimes even resealing the packaging. Then they wait.
As soon as you buy and activate that card at checkout, they go online and drain the balance, often within seconds.
When shopping, check for torn or tampered packaging, make sure the scratch-off PIN is untouched, and avoid any card that looks like it’s been opened.
If you bought or received a gift card and think it was tampered with, call the number on the back to report it.