Archived Gift Card Scams?

[manofsteel]

When working the register how do you notice and pick up when somebody is buying gift cards and it's a scam? I remember my first day one of AP was explaining me how guest's can trick you when buying gift cards and scam you. Today, i thought i might of seen something like this happening with a group of guy's buying numerous gift cards, wanting to put money on themm,but i wasn't sure. I was just wondering the ways the scams can happen and how to prepare and avoid this happening to me as a cashier. Thanks.

 

[WinterRose]

Not with Target, but in another retailer, when someone buys a lot of gift cards and uses a credit card for them, I always ask for an ID and compare the name on the ID with the one on the card. If that was a stolen credit card, it can be used to buy lots of gift cards for their own use so that's why we ask for an ID.

 

[buliSBI]

I heard of a scam of people planting scratched off giftcards that are inactive. Then waiting at home plugging at numbers until someone puts money on them.

I had someone buy a $2000 on handful of gift cards and was wanting to pay with check. Thats when I got my GSTL and AP involved to verify funds on the check.

Back in the day, there was an Energizer coupon that said if you buy 2-3 packs you get a free $5 Target giftcard (no limit). One night, some kid bought about 30 packs of batteries and got the allotted gift cards. He then walked up to the another TM at the GS desk and asked to return the batteries. While she distracted the guest, I called the closing LOD and told her what was going on. They said go ahead with the refund but copy down the original receipt#. And The guest leaves just with the gift cards

5 minutes later, the LOD comes up and gets the receipt number and looks up the transaction and voids all the giftcards.

 

[sigma7]

If they're buying visa or Amex giftcards and they pull out a single check, 99.99999999% of the time that is a scam.

 

[seewhatididthere]

Look into their eyes, that's how I do it. Most of the time you can see the fear in their eyes, and the giftcard scammers are usually very timid. If someone buys more than 1 AMEX giftcard it's a red flag, at least at my store. Sometimes there are people who are regular day civilians trying to buy gifts for birthdays or Christmas, but that's once in a blue moon that they'll buy more than one AMEX. As for Target Giftcards, it's usually the same thing, if they try and put more than 100 on the card or hand you several giftcards for the same amounts or try to break up transactions then it's a scam. And after you start getting exposed to scammers you'll begin to get this ninja sense as if there's an aurora that follows scammers because you'll be able to instantly feel the scam coming on. Most scammers look suspicious, and depending on ethnicity (at least in my encounters) some will be silent and hardcore looking, and others will come up to you and be the sweetest person in the world, chat you up and try to distract you from their 4 cart loads of stuff.

 

[Nauzhror]

As mentioned, the biggest scam we see are the people buying prepaid giftcards (the credit card variety, not store-specific cards) with bad checks.

I've started just lying to the guests when they pull out a check, and tell them our check processing service is currently down and we're unable to process checks.

Most of the time the computer rejects their checks anyway, but I've seen them go through once or twice and then found obviously fake-looking checks in the drawer that a newbie cashier let go through later so I prefer not to leave it up to the computer to spot and reject.

 

[judgemental]

What sucks about gift card scammers is that we initially can't do much about it besides the occasional "your card didn't go through" or "the check machine isn't working"... at least that's what our APs have told us. If a credit card goes through, then it goes through and we can't say anything. I've had so many guests come into my lanes buying 5 pre-paid gift cards and most of the time they swipe around 3 or 4 different cards. One out of those cards will go through.

 

[manofsteel]

Thanks for the replies guys. I work Hardlines so i don't do register a lot. Yesterday, a group of 3 guys purchased and bought a couple of gift cards, but each paid separately using the same credit card and wanted $100 on each gift card. And it was a couple of them that they bought. Afterwards, I think I may have been scammed. I should have asked them for ID to see if the card was stolen or lost. I just figured at the time it was ok because the credit card was accepting the payments. Looking back on it now, I probably made a mistake, I should of called AP or a GSTL. What do you guys think, was it was a scam? I feel horrible...

 

[mrknownothing]

Thanks for the replies guys. I work Hardlines so i don't do register a lot. Yesterday, a group of 3 guys purchased and bought a couple of gift cards, but each paid separately using the same credit card and wanted $100 on each gift card. And it was a couple of them that they bought. Afterwards, I think I may have been scammed. I should have asked them for ID to see if the card was stolen or lost. I just figured at the time it was ok because the credit card was accepting the payments. Looking back on it now, I probably made a mistake, I should of called AP or a GSTL. What do you guys think, was it was a scam? I feel horrible...

Don't worry about it. Everyone gets scammed at some point. There's not much you can do as a cashier, but if you don't feel comfortable with a transaction, have your GSTL come over to assist you. If it's a scam, the GSTL will let AP know.

 

[buliSBI]

Its very possible that they probably had a stolen card and were probably trying to buy giftcards real quick before the card was locked. But that's not your problem. Its the card owner/bank responsibility, and Target's insurance will cover any lost revenue.

Last I heard, you are to never ask for ID unless the POS prompts you. Can any cashiers/GSTLs answer that...

If you don't feel comfortable with a transaction just call the GSA/GSTL over.

 

[mrknownothing]

Last I heard, you are to never ask for ID unless the POS prompts you. Can any cashiers/GSTLs answer that...

That is correct. Because of card issuer agreements, we aren't allowed to check ID for credit transactions anymore. If the total is over a certain amount, the POS will prompt you to type in the last 4 digits of the card number, but all that does is verify the authenticity of the card; it does nothing if the card itself (not just the number) was stolen.

 

[manofsteel]

Thanks for the heads up guys. I guess this experience will make me more aware in future situations. Much appreciated.

 

[Megaparsec]

If they mention that they're buying gift cards so that their niece or nephew can get an expensive item, it's always a scam. I don't know how this tactic got put into their playbook, but I've seen it happen three times, and each time, they were using stolen credit cards.

 

[EagleEye]

Quick tip, and ONLY IF YOU RECOGNIZE THE SCAMMER. If you're at a pos that the guest can't see what's on the screen, you can purposely type in the last 4 digits of their card incorrectly to prompt a "Card Not Approved" screen. They won't think twice because they know they're trying something fishy. I did that all the time when I worked in Electronics. It's more difficult at the front lanes though. Works well on express, service desk, and Elec!

 

[3LetterDevil]

Thanks for the replies guys. I work Hardlines so i don't do register a lot. Yesterday, a group of 3 guys purchased and bought a couple of gift cards, but each paid separately using the same credit card and wanted $100 on each gift card. And it was a couple of them that they bought. Afterwards, I think I may have been scammed. I should have asked them for ID to see if the card was stolen or lost. I just figured at the time it was ok because the credit card was accepting the payments. Looking back on it now, I probably made a mistake, I should of called AP or a GSTL. What do you guys think, was it was a scam? I feel horrible...

Multiple people using the same credit card should have been your first clue....there's no reason multiple people would be paying for gift cards with the same card in separate transactions. I have done separate transactions for purchases, but it's the SAME person paying for them. (they're usually picking up something for someone else and need to pay for it separately for whatever reason)

 

[Nauzhror]

One of our scammers came in yesterday. They asked where our prepaid AMEX cards are. Boy were they disappointed when I told them we don't carry them anymore

Technically, we do, they're hidden now, we're not supposed to be selling them because we're a pilot store for the prepaid redcards, but the GSTL has them hidden away so that we can sell them to guests on a case-by-case basis, for example we had a older lady say she bought them and donated them so she wanted 4 $50 cards, we let her purchase them, she paid with cash, nothing fishy there, but when the known scammer asked if we had them any longer, we just told them that no we did not.

 

[masterofalltrades]

As mentioned, the biggest scam we see are the people buying prepaid giftcards (the credit card variety, not store-specific cards) with bad checks.

I've started just lying to the guests when they pull out a check, and tell them our check processing service is currently down and we're unable to process checks.

Most of the time the computer rejects their checks anyway, but I've seen them go through once or twice and then found obviously fake-looking checks in the drawer that a newbie cashier let go through later so I prefer not to leave it up to the computer to spot and reject.

watch

As mentioned, the biggest scam we see are the people buying prepaid giftcards (the credit card variety, not store-specific cards) with bad checks.

I've started just lying to the guests when they pull out a check, and tell them our check processing service is currently down and we're unable to process checks.

Most of the time the computer rejects their checks anyway, but I've seen them go through once or twice and then found obviously fake-looking checks in the drawer that a newbie cashier let go through later so I prefer not to leave it up to the computer to spot and reject.

watch out for travelers checks they will go through, and we will owe them change. if its on computer paper ,.or has shiny ink its fake. if its missing a visa ,amex,.mc, or discover logo its fake. and it better have holograms. if not call gstl ap or lod immediately. dont process tbrough k5 other checks, because those don't go through check verification.