Gift card scams

Question

I was given a couple of ebay cards that have the last 3 pin numbers already scratched off. Are these cards still good or are they part of a gift card scam. How do I go about finding out if they are good or not. If they are still good, how do I go about using them?

fab_finds4u · Answer

Someone out of the blue gave you gift cards?

All but the last 4 digits are in the fine print on the bottom of the card. If someone already knows the last three numbers it's very easy to figure out just one number.

If the cards cost you nothing I'd say that's about what they're worth.

eburtonlab · Answer

Someone with twelve out of thirteen gift card digits only has to try ten possible options at most to hit the correct combination and spend the money on the card.

What were the circumstances around how you were given those cards? I doubt that someone went to the trouble to buy the cards, scratch 3 out of four digits of the hidden code and then got tired and simply decided to give the cards to you.

My guess is that the person who scratched off 3/4 digits did so at the behest of a scammer, and if that person revealed the back of the card to the scammer, the money on the cards was spent immediately.

You can check the balance of the card by entering the full 13 digits into the balance checker on the FAQ page:

https://pages.ebay.com/giftcard/faqs.html