ATLANTA — In a series of Channel 2 Action News investigations, we’ve shown you how gift cards can be drained and emptied by thieves before the gift recipient ever gets a chance to use the card.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Get a gift receipt with any gift card purchase this year. That’s the advice Channel 2 consumer investigator Justin Gray received from the people who make and sell gift cards.
In a series of Channel 2 Action News investigations, we found in our reporting that the first step to getting money back is to provide a receipt. People often do not have that when they receive a gift card as a present.
“Request that receipt not only for yourself as a purchaser but also a gift receipt, just like you would with anything if you’re buying a nice sweater or any kind of electronics, you often get a gift receipt,” said Kim Sobasky from the Retail Gift Card Association.
The industry organization also recommends checking the balance of your card as soon as possible right after the purchase to check for any fraud.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Woman warns potential pet owners to think twice before signing dog guardianship contract
- CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Cobb police officer rescues man from burning car
- Roswell community launch GoFundMe to help city employees laid-off days before Christmas
You should also check physical gift cards for signs of tampering before you buy them. Inspect gift cards and packaging closely and look for the slightest signs of manipulation like PIN scratch-offs or labels that are missing pieces or are fully missing, are not flat and smooth, or contain wrinkles.
“As an industry, we’re very focused on safeguarding every aspect of the gift card journey, starting with how a gift card is packaged and then across all the transactions that follow,” Sobasky said. “And even though fraud impacts a small fraction of cards sold, brands want to eliminate it altogether,” she continued.
Gift card users can find more safety tips and information on how to report fraud on a gift card at GiftCardSafety.org.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2024 Cox Media Group
