(WHDH) — Police are warning Christmas shoppers to beware of scammers who are placing fake barcodes on gift cards this holiday season.
Scammers are printing out their own barcodes and placing them over the real gift card barcode at various retailers, according to the Boca Raton Police Department in Florida.
When the card is activated, the money is added to the scammer’s card instead of the card being purchased, police said.
Police say fraudulent barcodes were recently discovered on gift cards during a routine check by a retail employee at a business in the city.
So how can you protect yourself? Here are some tips provided by police:
- Closely examine the back of the gift card before you buy it
- Check for signs of tampering, such as barcode stickers
- Make sure the gift card’s barcode number is visible through the window on the back of the gift card’s packaging
- Make sure the barcode matches the number on the packaging itself
- Pick a gift card from the middle or back of the rack
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