Gift cards are a simple and popular gift around the holiday season. But purchasing those gift cards can put you at risk of losing money to scammers.
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich has a warning for holiday shoppers.
He said thieves are using scanners to steal the data on the back of the cards before someone buys them, then using the information to make online purchases- leaving the gift card owner with little or no money left over.
Brnovich said there are ways to protect your card.
“We’re telling people to always try to purchase gift cards from behind the customer service desk," Brnovich said. "Choose gift cards where the packaging covers the card number and security code.”
Other ways to protect yourself from gift card scams include buying cards with loss or theft protection, avoiding buying gift cards online and choosing preloaded cards where the security code is not visible.
