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AARP AARP States Alaska Scams & Fraud

Scam Alert: Gift Cards

Are you buying gift cards this holiday season? Consider this. Thieves hit store gift card racks, secretly write down or scan the numbers off the cards, then check online or call the toll-free number to see if someone has bought the cards and activated them. As soon as a card is active, the scammers drain the funds. By the time your gift recipient tries to use the card, the money is long gone.

Gift Cards
San Diego California, USA - April 21st 2011: This is a close-up photo of a variety of gift cards. Based upon a 2006 survey gift cards are the second most popular gift in the United States.
Getty Images
Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Report scams to local law enforcement. Contact the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork for more information on fraud prevention.

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