Security News > 2024 > December > Gift Card Fraud

It’s becoming an organized crime tactic: Card draining is when criminals remove gift cards from a store display, open them in a separate location, and either record the card numbers and PINs or replace them with a new barcode. The crooks then repair the packaging, return to a store and place the cards back on a rack. When a customer unwittingly selects and loads money onto a tampered card, the criminal is able to access the card online and steal the balance. […] In card draining, the runners assist with removing, tampering and restocking of gift cards, according to court documents and investigators...

News URL

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2024/12/gift-card-fraud.html