Why a Utah woman has to pay the price of gift card fraud committed hundreds of miles away

Some people buy gift cards because they believe it is safer than giving cash, but a Cedar Hills woman says she will never buy a gift card again after a crook made off with hundreds of dollars she thought were secure.
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[@dianecaruso9883]

I was gifted a $100 Visa gift card. When I went to use it, only $1 remained. The card was sealed and everything looked to be intact. Somehow the funds were accessed on line and linked to another account, yet the person I spoke with would not give me any information without the purchase receipt, which I did not have - it was a gift. I was made to feel like the criminal here. The only way to hope to recover any of the missing funds was to send a lot of personal information, but recovery was said to be a long shot. Decided I should cut my losses at $100 and dropped it. Something just didn’t feel right. I have purchased many gift cards in the past with no issues, but never will I buy a Visa gift card. Thank you for sharing this story.

[@ac61900]

Me too

[@NgocNguyen-qy6oj]

Not true. I have issues with target gift cards as well. I spent $450 gift card from target. To give to friends for Xmas. Today I used two of them. One has the money and the other has zero balance. I brought the receipt to the manager and he said they can’t do anything. I have to call back of the card to take a picture front and back and upload the receipt. They said great news that they are able to replace the card but it will mail to me within 2 weeks. It also said it is a one time courtesy like it was my fault and what happen to the other cards has zero balance? Does that mean target not going to replace for me. So disappointed in gift cards. Lesson learned I will give people cash.

[@izraelmirelez2168]

It's never weird to give out cash !

[@diannethomas7057]

Stay away from giftcards!!!!!!

[@elliebear1945]

I believe that company's who make them in wearhouses that ppl take pictures of them before packaging them and waiting until purchase and found a way around it!!!

[@NgocNguyen-qy6oj]

I agreed. Including target gift cards

[@comptonamber1232]

Guess visa won’t get my money

[@seadubya1]

I won’t buy these cards. They usually have a $6 charge to buy them and the retailer has to pay to for the privilege of excepting them. These companies are raking it in.

[@cosmicpsyops4529]

The whole point of this video should go beyond the outrage we all feel for this woman, toward elucidating the mechanism by which a thief might obtain the necessary numbers to use her funds. One commenter mentioned this, but Gephardt needs to explain this critical piece of info so we as consumers can make an informed decision about the risk we are taking. Random card number-generating algorithms?

[@sherieBrodigan]

The Royal Bank of Scotland is robbing Americans they also run, call centers out of India. Bankers are killers and robbers.

[@Herbie11]

A little info on how the money was stolen would have been helpful. Sheesh!

[@activistgranny2.066]

Cash is also anonymous. No one needs to know your business

[@ezragonzalez8936]

I stoped giving gift cards long ago just give good old depreciated franklins instead!

[@janeclayton151]

and everyone loves good old green $$$

[@sherryjacobs3907]

Same thing happened to our son. My sister-in-law gave him $100 visa for Christmas one year. Dec 26 someone used it in online in New York. We didn't get any assistance from customer service. Since then she writes me a check and I get the cash for the envelope.

[@Raybarbones]

Gift cards suck! For suckers! Never bought them! Never want them!

[@cryptonize2105]

I was gifted 1k all gone was supposed to be used for kids Christmas presents and groceries and it was all gone when we tried to activate the gift card. 😢

[@bobdenton1]

A similar video mentioned stickers. Scammers put a paper barcode sticker over the legitimate one on the physical package. Feel a ridge signifying tampering! Leaving nothing for the legitimate customer, they skim every dime. Ms. Gunderson should check to see whether this is the case with her cards. Regardless, I ain’t buying any. Thanks for nothing, Visa!

[@regina805]

Don't Ever buy gift cards.

[@ShiningSakura]

Had that happen to us with a gift card given to us, was drained before we even got to use it. sure made for an awkward gift given to us, be we didn't want to hurt the gift giver's feelings so we didn't mention it. Its the thought that counts most.

[@alexvids9232]

Its better to be honest than pc.

[@ShiningSakura]

@@alexvids9232 You go tell it to grandma then..... Sometimes its best to say... awe thank you grandma, I love this gift.

[@shawnhuff3920]

So track the criminals who are drawing the money 💰 and arrest them.. how hard is that

[@bessieknox]

Close your wallets to buying Visa gift cards and I guarantee you they'll change their goddamn policies! Nothing like closing your wallet sends a message plain as day!

[@juneju6637]

Visa gift cards are a fraud. You should give an Amazon gift card or a Target gift card.

[@LoLoLifeinFlorida]

This is terrible!

[@760mom]

I will NEVER buy a visa gift card. They charge 5 bucks to load that card. Ef that.

[@Anne.411]

Gift cards are boring anyways

[@outlawedmedia4336]

So how are they getting drained?

[@thephilosopher5799]

Skimming or them scratching off the card pins

[@ashtonguillory2179]

They probably keep track of the card info and pin on the back. Would you notice a scratched pin ..maybe not...Then when you buy it. They just keep checking if the those cards have been loaded yet.. seems pretty simple.

[@ac61900]

This just happened to me I was gifted $100 Visa card and by the time I got to activate it I found out it was already spent... It took me about six months with the customer service but they sent a replacement card and it did have a hundred dollars on it so it was settled... I have absolutely no idea because I open this thing myself and it was already used

[@dasrubberduck7331]

Just get them socks next Christmas.

[@allialias]

We won't get fooled again.

[@strawberryhun]

They charge you to buy them charge you to use them. Don't back them at all

[@momlovsalex]

I never really understood why people but gift cards anyway, I'm glad he mentioned that there's a extra charge with buying gift cards. It comes to more money than if you were just going to gift the person the money anyway. Also most places don't want to accept them because they're prepaid cards, especially online.

[@BK-qp8zp]

I wouldn't buy a Visa gift card for any reason. Shame on Visa.

[@Fallibleandflawed]

Well looks like I'm never buying a visa gift card.

[@parkerkrynen]

Same thing happened to my wife

[@coolgamers2794]

I'd just give cash as gifts. LOL

[@jenniferrapacon2944]

Oh make this go viral , make companies accountable . Once they can’t sale them maybe they will change the Laws

[@chandraws4421]

Let’s just give cash. I’ll never buy gift cards again.

[@juliaweber212]

That's sad I got to bank only

[@sblijheid]

This report is bad. How did the crooks get the card information? That would help others to prevent the same trap.

[@klee4klee]

Congress needs to pass a gift card protection law against these payment network like Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Discover, etc. That way, they cannot deny any responsibility from any fraud. They need to protect their customer as they did for the credit card company. Of course, they may add more fees, but for the security, I'm willing to pay more.

[@mossyoakmom8880]

Just give cash!

[@8ight6ix0z]

So cash under the tree of your own home is less safe than buying gift cards? Not saying she’s wrong for what happened to her, it’s not her fault and she deserves her money back. But cash in your home is safer than the bank lol

[@danafuaalii7736]

Alright everyone what they do nowadays is boost brand new visa, Mastercard, or what have you and take the card in the package and replace with card that is already spent and take those cards back to the store they boosted it from and hang them back up so when the customer comes in and makes the purchase thats a free whatever $ amount is loaded for the scammer and customer SOL.

[@Fermistine]

its my theory that these are somehow linked to flipper zero device users. But im not sure whether that credit/debit card has an RFID transmitter on it

[@strawberryhun]

Yes I know not yo buy gift cards

[@juliaweber212]

They should have protection

[@sblijheid]

It says it in large print that the card is the equivalent of cash. If you lose it, the money is lost, just like when you accidently drop a hundred bucks.

[@catsbyondrepair]

Sounds like a lie to me used them for years not one issue

[@zouminlandau6753]

Scammers from India sure love those American gift cards. Many anti scam youtubers mention that Indian scams.

[@janetjohnson7279]

😵‍💫😵‍💫

[@JohnDoe-vy5hh]

She has eight kids? JFC. She must be a Mormon.

[@PositiveZ7]

This seems to me to be false advertising. If VISA’s name is on it they should be responsible. Law makers should make it illegal, if it isn’t already, to advertise a trusted company name if it means diddly squat.

[@Steven-xf8mz]

I guess it would have been easier if she just loaded their phone PayPal/apple pay/Google pay with $100, or simply $100 Bill in an envelope like Asians.

[@HullTreeCare8]

I think this is completely hilarious because this woman went out of her way to throw money away she could have put $100 bills in those cards would have been a lot better off for everybody involved and she wouldn't have got robbed it's her fault hahaha

[@Butterfly-rd4je]

These r useless u buy 100 actually get less as u get to pay a fee. So rather have 100 cash. People need to be aware as this company is aware of the scum n they r not doing anything to protect their consumers. Sad

[@user_abcxyzz]

I personally hate to give and to receive gift cards. It's impersonal and give the impression that your gift is an afterthought. No real effort was made, etc

[@luci4087]

if you want to give gift cards, buy egift cards instead. they get sent directly to the recipients email. i’ve never had issues with egiftcards.