Gift card is missing digits

[shacle-94]

I got a gift card from my mom for $200 for my birthday and when I scratched the redemption code it was missing 2 digits. Now eBay is telling me the card was used 7 days after purchase , while it was sitting at my house untouched. They will not give me a refund, link the $200 to my account, or give me proof that the card was indeed used. I’ve contacted them 5 times, reported the gift card 3 times and reported it as fraud to the FTC. 

[tobaccocardyahoo]

Widespread gift card fraud of this type was in the news back last November.

Gift cards bought from a rack in the store are the common denominator in this fraud. The fraudster acquires the card, removes the covering, records the number and replaces the card in the store.

The crook periodically checks the number for a balance and removes it from the card, just as your balance was removed,

Indictments were handed down in one in NH for one of these cases, Millions of dollars were stolen, spent on Apple products which were shipped to China.

This is not an Ebay problem. The fault is with the store which takes little effort to protect the cards and the company which packages and sells these cards for the stores to sell on racks.

Sometimes, one of the members of this supply chain decides to pay off, but usually they all stonewall the victim.

Stay away from those racks of gift cards, and tell your Mom to also. It really is a shame that no one reads a newspaper or even watches TV news any more, other than my 102 yo Mom.

[simba6]

Yes that is a common scam.  A scammer removed the strip and copied down the code.  They then replaced the strip and put the card back on the hook.  They wait until it's sold and activated. They then spend it.  The missing numbers are so you can use it before they do.

Gift cards are like under cooked walrus meat, they can only cause you pain.  Never buy gift cards.

[fab_finds4u]

This isn't  happening with only eBay gift cards. All  online purchase cards bought from a rack are being scammed.