| If you watch the news or have an
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| | customer service person, where they do
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| email-box, you've undoubtedly seen
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| | not have the Gift Cards viewable to the
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| warnings about gift card scammers who are
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| | public.
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| draining the value from gift cards that
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| | --- End Email ---
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| were displayed publicly in retail stores.
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| | As it turns out, these email warnings
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| Although these gift card scam warnings
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| | are, in fact, true. Crooks CAN rob you
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| are widespread, this type of gift card
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| | of the money on a legitimate gift card
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| scam is currently quite rare.
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| | that is purchased from the
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| Gift card scams abound. Yet,
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| | publicly-displayed rack of a retail
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| ScamBusters.org, a public service website
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| | store.
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| that has been helping people protect
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| | In fact, the National Retail Foundation
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| themselves from Internet scams since
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| | recently confirmed this scam, and said:
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| 1994, warns that it's the little-known
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| | "Reports about a new gift card scam
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| gift card scams that are actually the
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| | detailing how consumers could lose money
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| biggest threats this holiday season. In
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| | from gift cards if criminals steal the
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| fact, there are three little-known gift
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| | card numbers from the back of the card
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| card scams involving online action sites
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| | are accurate but somewhat misleading."
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| that pose a much bigger risk to
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| | However, experts agree that there are
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| consumers.
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| | three other gift card scams that pose a
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| We'll explain what these bigger threats
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| | much bigger danger this Christmas season:
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| are in a moment. But first, let's take a
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| | - Online auction websites where scammers
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| quick look at the email warnings making
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| | offer used, fraudulent and counterfeit
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| the rounds:
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| | gift cards for sale.
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| --- Begin Email ---
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| | - Online auction websites where scammers
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| The crooks have found a way to rob you of
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| | use stolen credit cards to buy real gift
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| your gift card balance. If you buy Gift
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| | cards they sell for cash.
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| Cards from a display rack that has
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| | - Websites (both online auction and other
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| various store cards you may become a
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| | ecommerce and classified sites) where
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| victim of theft.
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| | scammers overstate the value of authentic
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| Crooks are now jotting down the card
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| | gift cards so that buyers get cards worth
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| numbers in the store and then wait a few
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| | less than they expect.
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| days and call to see how much of a
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| | In other words, auction gift card scams
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| balance THEY have on the card. Once they
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| | now pose a much bigger threat than what
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| find the card is "activated," they go
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| | you've been hearing on the news about
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| online and start shopping.
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| | gift cards displayed on public racks in
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| You may want to purchase your card from a
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| | stores.
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