Need a Visa/Mastercard gift card?

IrishEyes

IrishEyes

Senior Member
Location
Midwest
I just tried 3 times to get an E-gift card for my son's birthday and it would not go through each time.
So, I get the cash and go to Walmart to buy a Visa or MC gift card....
They had all been pulled off the racks
The ones for food places and such were there but not a one Visa or MC due to the scamming of changing the
codes on them.

If you will need to get one any time soon, don't be shocked. I bought his card and a mailing envelope for it
doesn't get send looking like a b-day card type mail and insured it for the cash I put in it.
The Post Office had no idea about the scamming of the cards yet.
 

IrishEyes said:
I just tried 3 times to get an E-gift card for my son's birthday and it would not go through each time.
So, I get the cash and go to Walmart to buy a Visa or MC gift card....
They had all been pulled off the racks
The ones for food places and such were there but not a one Visa or MC due to the scamming of changing the
codes on them.

If you will need to get one any time soon, don't be shocked. I bought his card and a mailing envelope for it
doesn't get send looking like a b-day card type mail and insured it for the cash I put in it.
The Post Office had no idea about the scamming of the cards yet.
Click to expand...
I don't give gift cards. When someone gives me one, I try to use it all at once, because if I leave a balance on it, I forget to use the rest. But, that's another issue.

There has been enough in the news (off and on) about the kind of scam you're writing about, that it seems Walmart should keep the cards away from public access and make them available only on request at a full service register, or in the separate Customer Service Department. It would take more time, and might mean selling less cards, but if they can't expect to sell any if they've removed them all from the racks at your store.
 
I don't use, like or trust gift cards at all. I have quite a few expired ones in my junk drawer. I won't even accept them online if I win anything.
 

MACKTEXAS said:
I don't give gift cards. When someone gives me one, I try to use it all at once, because if I leave a balance on it, I forget to use the rest. But, that's another issue.

There has been enough in the news (off and on) about the kind of scam you're writing about, that it seems Walmart should keep the cards away from public access and make them available only on request at a full service register, or in the separate Customer Service Department. It would take more time, and might mean selling less cards, but if they can't expect to sell any if they've removed them all from the racks at your store.
Click to expand...
That's why I was trying to do the e-card, it goes straight to the persons phone and they pay by phone when using it. My kids all
use their phone for everything so I knew he would use it all that way. Well, he gets cash now instead so that he will use for sure.
I haven't stepped up to using my phone to pay for stuff, too afraid I would lose it someplace.
I expect a locked case is what they will get for Visa/MC for sure at least since they stripped the racks clean.
 
Oh drat! I pay my online bills and many other things with Visa gift cards because it's a lot safer than giving out a debit or credit number for me. I was about to grab a few on Saturday... maybe my store still has them. I've done it this way for many years and the only time there were unauthorized charges of $800 was when I forgot myself and used a credit card.
 
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I'm not sure that gift cards are ever going to be "safe" anymore... personally, I've always avoided them.

I've heard that, recently, there's been some sort of scam where the thieves somehow intercepted
the cards and acquired all the necessary info about the cards that they needed then somehow
rigged them to notify the thieves when they become activated and then they instantly use them up
and make cash that way.

I'm suspicious that they "acquired" hundreds or perhaps thousands of cards and physically handled
them to process them into their system... that would be a lot of work. I think that they got all the card
info on the cards from somewhere in the supply route. And I don't think that those companies had ever
considered that route was vulnerable... even though it always has been vulnerable in regard to C/C... so, idk.
 
If I want to give someone money I give them cash or a check, no gift cards. Rarely will give an Amazon gift card for a baby shower gift. If they don't get used, within a couple of months, AZ lets me know.
 
Ted01 said:
I'm not sure that gift cards are ever going to be "safe" anymore... personally, I've always avoided them.

I've heard that, recently, there's been some sort of scam where the thieves somehow intercepted
the cards and acquired all the necessary info about the cards that they needed then somehow
rigged them to notify the thieves when they become activated and then they instantly use them up
and make cash that way.

I'm suspicious that they "acquired" hundreds or perhaps thousands of cards and physically handled
them to process them into their system... that would be a lot of work. I think that they got all the card
info on the cards from somewhere in the supply route. And I don't think that those companies had ever
considered that route was vulnerable... even though it always has been vulnerable in regard to C/C... so, idk.
Click to expand...
What I read on them is the Police were called and given the car and description of persons suspected of stealing from a CVS store.
The police pulled them over and found a few hundreds of them in the car. Then when the home was checked found like 1,500 more of them
with a machine that made new bar codes for them The bar codes deposited the purchase money into a bank account so when the
person getting it tried to use it 0 balance showed. So CVS was probably just one store of among many. They do suspect it is a ring
of suspects throughout the country. I haven't looked to see if any more reports have been aired since I read that. That is what I
read anyway, take it as you want. But Walmart having pulled them all off the shelf, I imagine all those pulled will be destroyed before
new ones come back to the store, most likely in a locked cabinet. The damage is done though, I think gift cards will not be used so often
as people learn of it. The cashier at Lowes as well told me it's been a problem there as well, cards being stolen and bar codes not
matching when they were inventoried.
 
IrishEyes said:
I just tried 3 times to get an E-gift card for my son's birthday and it would not go through each time.
So, I get the cash and go to Walmart to buy a Visa or MC gift card....
They had all been pulled off the racks
The ones for food places and such were there but not a one Visa or MC due to the scamming of changing the
codes on them.

If you will need to get one any time soon, don't be shocked. I bought his card and a mailing envelope for it
doesn't get send looking like a b-day card type mail and insured it for the cash I put in it.
The Post Office had no idea about the scamming of the cards yet.
Click to expand...
I think we've already had issues with that in KS and not just the Visa/MCs. All the gift cards.
 
IrishEyes said:
What I read on them is the Police were called and given the car and description of persons suspected of stealing from a CVS store.
The police pulled them over and found a few hundreds of them in the car. Then when the home was checked found like 1,500 more of them
with a machine that made new bar codes for them The bar codes deposited the purchase money into a bank account so when the
person getting it tried to use it 0 balance showed. So CVS was probably just one store of among many. They do suspect it is a ring
of suspects throughout the country. I haven't looked to see if any more reports have been aired since I read that. That is what I
read anyway, take it as you want. But Walmart having pulled them all off the shelf, I imagine all those pulled will be destroyed before
new ones come back to the store, most likely in a locked cabinet. The damage is done though, I think gift cards will not be used so often
as people learn of it. The cashier at Lowes as well told me it's been a problem there as well, cards being stolen and bar codes not
matching when they were inventoried.
Click to expand...
Didn't you (or perhaps some other member, here) post about this in another thread? My memory seems to be
on vacation or it might have even runaway completely! Anyhow, I can't remember all the details, but I think that I read
about that, or a similar situation. Either way, that sounds like a lot of handling for the criminals to be involved in... idk what
the payoff amounted to.
With all the crazies out there, that are hacking things, it seems like its own war going on and the battlefield is the internet.
I would doubt that everything is being reported for fear of panic but there also seems to be a lot going on between governments
and nations.
It just seems like we (the common folks) are being overwhelmed by the tech that we also love very much... and I'm not sure what
I, myself, should do about it all? I guess that everyone has to make their own choices...
Thanks for giving us the heads about it all, @IrishEyes!!
 
Ted01 said:
Didn't you (or perhaps some other member, here) post about this in another thread? My memory seems to be
on vacation or it might have even runaway completely! Anyhow, I can't remember all the details, but I think that I read
about that, or a similar situation. Either way, that sounds like a lot of handling for the criminals to be involved in... idk what
the payoff amounted to.
With all the crazies out there, that are hacking things, it seems like its own war going on and the battlefield is the internet.
I would doubt that everything is being reported for fear of panic but there also seems to be a lot going on between governments
and nations.
It just seems like we (the common folks) are being overwhelmed by the tech that we also love very much... and I'm not sure what
I, myself, should do about it all? I guess that everyone has to make their own choices...
Thanks for giving us the heads about it all, @IrishEyes!!
Click to expand...
You are correct Ted, I did bring it up a few days or so ago when I 1st heard it but then I thought it was just CVS gift cards and I think I actually said 15,000 cards by mistake instead of 1,500. Just remembered I had too many 0's in there as I wrote about what happened today. So if you do see it forgive I misquoting the number if you see it. Typing too fast that day or distracted.
With the holidays coming up people may want to rethink if they usually give out cards. Thank you Ted
 

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