Gift cards scam: FBI warns of ‘untraceable cash’
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.พ. 2024
- A man was caught with more than 5,000 gift cards in Sacramento. Now, he is accused of fraud. NBC Bay Area Responds team maps a global web aimed at draining your gift card and turning it into "untraceable" international cash. NBC Bay Area Consumer Investigator Chris Chmura reports.
#giftcards #scam #BayArea
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The reason why stores don't lock up gift cards is because they are not losing any money. Only the consumers are.
OMG so true and they are hesitant to refud the money
Just to clarify, the Stores have no control over it. It's entirely InComms fault. Not sure about other businesses but Albertsons looses thousands each month by refunding clients who got defrauded.
Best answer #1
Exactly, I don't buy them.
And bingo was his name O❤
"Having 5000 gift cards doesn't indicate any crime" says the defense lawyer. Yeah, and pigs can fly...
LOL
“This is not street justice, just people celebrating” 😉
Haha
The guy obviously knows he’s guilty he just can’t say it. I would also say something stupid if I had to defend someone who’s clearly in the wrong.
He is a public defendant. Even if he knows he's guilty, he has to defend him to the best of his ability, or he may be able to get a re-trial
Target says their store teams regularly inspect gift cards for fraud. These “teams” are 16 year old part-time workers getting paid $12 an hour.
Target was caught red handed in ch!ld gr00m!ng, they're not a legitimate company, they're a front for ch!ld ST. Anything they say is in furtherance of their government backed crimes.
Most team leads are 25+ and make salary, but ok buddy whatever validates your life.
@@Tonysopranoyafinook oh buddy so you think people really do there jobs specifically in retail lol it's why this got never got caught for a while no one watching security cameras to see he was puting cards back on the display
@@Tonysopranoyafinook 🤡 thanks for the laugh americant
🇺🇸 🐑 🤖
@@Tonysopranoyafinookteam leads don't make salary, stop fkn lying lmfao
Cash as a gift is always nice
Those cards need to be in a vending machine.
Good idea that would be a money maker for whoever designs the machine
Or just behind a counter somewhere to where only the associates have access to them.
@@andidede3653 right? It keeps happening and they're still out in the open 🫣
Why I only buy online gift cards 💳
Buying physical ones from a store that can be tampered with makes no sense
Or just don't buy gift cards. It's a shame, but people are desperate these days, so you can't trust anyone or anything.
"Our store teams inspect the cards for tampering" 😂 now that's a funny joke 🤣
Can you list those stores please? lol
That lady at 5:13: Just buy a gift card ONLINE. She makes it look like you can only buy them in stores. Yes it's that simple buying online. You can even have it mailed to you if you want an actual card. Just print it out the gift card from online and hand it to the person. Send it to their email address. You gotta admit, a gift card is a gift card. No matter how it is sent to the person they don't care. They just like the gift itself.
By the way, you can still end up with tampered gift cards from buying online. Once somebody has got into your stores inventory and swapped tampered gift cards. This is happening at Target. They are quiet about it avoiding negative perception by social media.
Think about it, they make money off you at the register during purchase of gift card but before you leave the targets property your money is stolen because it never transfers to the card but to a offshore bank account in China! Target should be held responsible as well. Just avoid buying gift cards. Or don't complain when you get jacked by this group. Hundreds of the same kind doing what he got caught doing, active daily and getting away with it making millions.
Yep. They can't even staff enough people to keep the stores stocked and neat...unless it's behind plexiglass and customers can't touch it without someone getting a key first
These folks never fronted a store shelf in their life... I'm sure they clean behind the displays too ...
His lawyer couldn’t even answer and defend his client with a straight face..
Lol he probably shouldn’t have responded to begin with
His lawyer is probably getting paid with those gift cards 😭
That's why he was appointed a new lawyer.
For the exact same amount of money you're putting on a gift card, you can just gift cash! Why limit where your recipient can spend?!
Credit card rewards
@@mgtowski395 don't be selfish. Ca$h is king.
Control
@@happybirthday8803 Laziness.
If I don't have the cash on hand (prioritize my bills 1st) to gift the person I'll use credit to buy the gift card. There are companies like zip, afterpay, and klarna that offer digital gift cards and you can also purchase physical cards on Amazon with the use of credit with the same apps. So while it may seem more logical to do that not everyone has that option 🤷♂️.
Give people cash, instead of gift cards, problem solved! I’d rather have cash than a gift card to a store or restaurant I don’t frequent.
Problem is there is a tax purpose to gift cards
Most people whine and ask for gift cards than cash for some reason. Even though most gift cards charge $5 a month for the balance
There are even website's and physical machines where you can exchange gift cards that you don't want for cash for a fee.
for example : give you cash 💵 what if you end up using it at the casino but gift cards you’ll have to use it
I prefer $$ over gift cards to places I don't go
One day people are going to realize it might be better just to give somebody a cash gift, then a gift card
I still do that or write a check because of this .
I never understood store gift cards. Cash is like a universal gift card without terms or conditions or restrictions.
Cash is heavy
@Omikoshi78 you can't buy stuff online with cash.
@@vectoralphaAI deposit money in checking account, use credit card. Voila, online purchase.
Even his lawyer like damn guilty AF
Stores should be held responsible because this can be prevented by not letting customers have direct access to the cards.
They should be put behind the customer service counter.
Imagine hurting many, many people while you are alive. What a horrible person.
Politicians? We not only vote for them, we defend them from each other!
James, you old fart, people hurt each other every day. You should know by now with your advanced age. lmao.
@@Anonymous-pm7jf speak for yourself.
@@Anonymous-pm7jfhelp
@@allmycarsisbrokehe's speaking for you, and to you.
Why hasn't all gift cards been placed in areas where nobody but managers can get to?.
Or cashiers. At least if a cashier is involved there is someone to hold responsible and a conduit to the larger criminal enterprise...
Managers are in on it
On purpose!
because corruption only allows for stupidity
Because then no one will buy them. They're on display near the registers for a reason. They are impulse purchases.
My husband bought our daughter a $50 Panera gift card off of Amazon for Christmas. She waited a few weeks to use it, and when she did, it was empty.
Lawyer “something being in your possession doesn’t mean illegal activity “….yes it’s normal to have 5,000 gift cards 😂😂😂
💀
😂😂😂
yep sure is. he has gift card resale business
It's not against the law ,ist?
Am holding them for a friend officer 😂
That lawyer should not have given an interview lol 😮
Wait why
@@Ismokeherb Because while what he said might be true in the eyes of the law*, it is laughable in the court of public opinion. Sometimes “no comment” is the best reply.
*In many States, simply being in possession of stolen merchandise is a felony. And those cards are all likely stolen from kiosks in stores. That is good for up to 20 years, under some statutes.
lol at all! .
As he is banging his head against the wall
well he was a public defender lol
Come on Eugene Willis, you couldn’t even make that statement with a straight face.
2:53 the lawyer's smirk, he knows that's bullshit 😂
It's nice that he was caught and something is being done. But it strikes me that there should be some liability on the part of the gift card manufactures/stores for having such a vulnerable system that they are making no effort to make more secure.
That's one out of most likely many.
How is the system Vulnerable? It's a card with a number ,you can sell cards without a code
It strikes me that gift card buyers should use their brain and not risk buying what could very likely be a complete scam with no recourse for refund.
Stop displaying them in the open
Where anyone can manipulate it.
Hold the store liable for this.
It's not just Target. I've had this happen with 2 Walmart gift cards in the last couple of years.
Possibly the stores such as 🎯 are in on it too?
@@erikwelch3212probably. These thieves have to have some kind of inside help from management
Blame the place you live where shoplifters can take the whole rack of cards and then put them back lmfao
Where I live you would have to take like 5 at a time bc employees watch you and cops pop up for any caught shoplifters
ANYBODY CAN JUST COPY THE NUMBERS OFF THE CARDS AND USE THEM OVER THE PHONE OR ONLINE< YOU BOZOS!
Just another reason not to buy gift cards.
Why let the store make interest off your $ until the card is used? You're just giving them free cash loans.
Exactly. Just put cash in a hallmark card. Nobody has ever complained about that.
Because I bet you’re putting that money into a high-yield investment yourself, right?
Gift cards are dumb, but not because the retailers might invest the funds.
I'll never buy gift cards.
@@caveman1226
Does it matter?.
@@caveman1226 it adds insult to injury
The defensive lawyer looked like he was trying really hard to hold back his smile 😂
Lying,... like a true lawyer.
TARGET - Get off your ass and keep the gift cards locked up. DUH!!!! Out there on a rack for anyone to tamper with. Are you kidding me???
I know, right? Saw a pack of them the other day in there and I was astonished to see them, all brands, there on an open rack next to the freaking cashier! It should be up to the retailer to protect them.
They should follow the costco method. Only flyers on the shelves.
They're not losing any money. Only the consumers are.
Albertsons too Iwas given a $100 gift card from my employer at my retirement party, went to use it 2 days later and it was drained.
@yvonnefarrell1029 were you just born ? it's been like that for 20 years lol
I'm tired of seeing victims smiling and laughing about getting ripped off.
That's not the energy needed to ever get motivated to solve this issue.
I know, right? So annoying. Like yay I'm on TEEEVEEEE look at me.
I think people react differently. Just because they don't act like you would, you shouldn't disregard their intent.
Gift cards exist simply for those who aren't thinking,they are victims but usually they are the type who can afford to lose 50$ bucks
So,if gift cards basically exsist to fund terrorists overseas why are they still legal?many have known for years that gift cards are a laundering tool
It beats crying
Yeah that's my thinking, just won't be buying any gift cards, period. Not worth the headache. 🙄
The attorney definitely avoided the question 😭
The giftcard suspect was not afraid of losing his 5000+ giftcards to a car thief. So bold and unscrupulous.
what??? Those are unfunded cards to be re shelved at the stores. You're welcome to take them if you want.
He collects them like Baseball cards.
Blame the store managers who get mad at employees for monitoring this behavior. Stores are so desperate to “save” money they make everyone leave early so they don’t have to pay them and the customers suffer. Don’t believe any of Targets “claims” they don’t do anything to prevent this
Geez. The defendants attorney explanation is quite telling. You can even see the smirk on his face when he answered.
The real crime here is getting someone a $50 gift card for their wedding. That's half a microwave. Or one leg of a pair of jeans.
Screw wedding people. Don’t get married then. I don’t want to go to your dumb wedding anyway.
My microwave cost $280, so $50 would be less than 20% of that.
You must live a very different life than I do.
@@kscott2655 Are you responding to me or mrfishypep?
@@kscott2655yeah like mf pays 100$ for a pair of jeans and this other comment talkin bout 280$ microwave. My microwave cost under 100$ lol
I'll take a wild guess that the suspect is not supposed to be here.
😂
😂😂😂😂😂
Thinking the same thing
Yeah probably just like everyone else here in the country😅
@@Ziggyzig213 So everyone should just leave then?
Um lock up the gift cards??!! Duh!!🤦🏻♀️
At this local Walgreens here in Los
Angeles I often see gift cards strewn
on the floor and I think, "What is going on ?"
I heard about this same man and target GCs months ago on a different news channel so are y’all telling me y’all let this man out FREE and he’s back at it again 🤦🏾♀️🤔
There were plenty of warnings before Christmas about this. Has anyone seen any stores locking up their cards? They'll just screw you if you lose your money to scammers.
Safeway locks them up
In los Gatos*
Class action lawsuit against Target
Albertsons too, I had a card that a co-worker purchased from there and gave to me for a gift and when I went to use it 2 days later it was drained.
That about summarizes America today: underwear is locked up but gift card scams are out in the open.
How it works: Take cards home, capture the card number and PIN. Cover the PIN back up and return the card back to the store. Check the card balance until someone buys it an puts money on it. Cash the card out online before the customer uses the card.
Just give cash
no good for online purchases.
@@garymartin9777 Deposit the cash into your debit account and pay online with your debit card?
@@garymartin9777You can use the cash to buy gift cards or prepaid debit cards that you can use online.
that attorney have no answer
Because there is no Excuse...
Lmao that deffense lawyer sum else
He was about to bust out laughing, he knows he's full of it 😂
Idk how that lawyer kept a straight face
He couldn't hire a better attorney?
He did not hire an attorney. That attorney was court-appointed.
@@RaymondHnghe must not have made enough money from the scam then
That attorney is doing his best to avoid saying "my client is totally f*cked"
Sucks that an attorney has to take a case that’s a loss lmao. You have to lose a case with a criminal
That attorney is wack. Good luck
I also faced this...bought gift cards and they are empty when my friends wants to use..when i called Target customer care, they are like...oh you used it we guess...i am like oh its huge scam involving many!
When you buy a card at a supermarket the cashier has to enter the amount of the card. The system could issue a pin at that time. That way the pin is not on the card itself and can't be made known to someone who tampers with the card and restocks it.
I think some cards will print a new code on the receipt . That would fix this problem easy
This would be a great solution for the merchants, print the PIN on a separate flimsy thermo paper which will fade in a few months, loose the PIN and you can't redeem the value of the card. Great suggestion!
Why doesn't the lawyer just tell the truth? Sun had a gift card fetish.
His lawyer almost couldn’t keep a straight face when asked about having all those cards😂
😅 Why the Hell would any Attorney take his case?! 😂
You get paid even if you lose, I believe because you are working.
You get paid more quickly if the case is over quickly.
I've never purchased a gift card. What's wrong with giving cash?
Cash is king!
I Always give cash too! You can spemd it on wtvr you want 👍🏽
@@JohnSmith-nn7zn Name a single situation where a gift card is more appropriate than simply giving cash
Just DO NOT BUY ANY GIFT CARD PERIOD !
Exactly
Or buy e-gift cards 🎉
I was reprimanded by my manager today for removing the "high risk" cards on the display and instructing the cashiers grab them from the safe for customers. I had to bite my tongue but I told myself that now every time a customer comes back with a fraud card, I'm just going to give them their money back (despite corporate policy) and let the chargeback get taken out of my boss' bonus.
It's not my fault I'm trying to protect my customers while these corporations do NOTHING!
Thank you
You aren't the manager but you were giving work orders to the cashier's? And everyone including the cashier's have access to the safe?
I can't tell if you're just making up some B.S. to sound cool in this thread, or if you're a terrible employee at one of the most poorly run retailers on Earth.
And you said you are going to refund customers who claim to have gotten a bad card, so why would there be a chargeback? A chargeback is when the card issuer refunds a cardholder for something, such as when a retailer refuses a refund and fails to prove the charge was valid. They don't provide chargebacks to people who have been refunded already.
Lastly, it literally IS your fault that you did what you did. Claim all you like that you did it with the purest of intentions, but whether that's true or not your actions are nobody's "fault" but yours.
Thanks for the method. ❤
*Before you put money onto a Target giftcard, check the scratchable part on the back.*
If it's off-center, don't use it.
If it has a matte surface instead of a glossy surface, don't use it.
If you're able to easily peel the scratchable part off, don't use it.
If the font is not uniform on the scratchable part, don't use it.
If there are small remnants of dirt or dust on the back of the card near the scratchable area, dont use it.
Also consider NOT getting a giftcard.
Giving someone cash allows them to basically spend it anywhere they'd like instead of at just one store (and you're not entrusting your money with a company that doesn't have your best interest in mind).
Sadly, you can't use cash online, and kids don't have bank cards. I live in a town that is small, literally just one Walmart and a supermarket. I have no kids myself, but many kids shop online because the Walmart doesn't have everything and thier family won't drive them over an hour to a larger community just to spend 25$-50$ in cash.
@@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059 That's definitely valid.
Give cash!!! Don’t! Go digital!!!!
Lol his lawyer cant even keep a straight face
Here to take notes, anyone else?
So basically Walmart is broke & blaming 1 Chinese guy 😂
That first attorney was dumber than a box of rocks 😂
I’m still not going to consent to a CBDC.
Guy , lawyer I seen your interview on the jail tv you’re fired 😂
Very simple as others have said, don't buy anymore gift cards. Too many scams around gift cards and AI etc .. go check and use any of your cards in your possession now.
And our government knows all about untraceable cash. 👍🏻
I worked at target for over a year and they do not check the cards for tampering. That’s a bunch of BS.
Solution: Don't buy gift cards period!
I hate to receive a gift card for a place that I never go.
Put that $50 inside of an envelop and the recipient will certainly have a better use for that money.
2:55 good luck brother 👍🏾
2:55 when Eugene Willis says looks down as he utters the words "(having a skimmed gift card to be placed on a store shelf ) on your possession does not automatically imply some type of criminal behavior or that something illegal occurred" you can tell that was the moment he realized he fucked up. Priceless.
So is Target gonna put gift cards behind a glass case after this case as precaution? I've seen stores like Walmart have socks in glass cases.
This has been going on for over 10 years.
What a good hustle 💯 my hats off to you sir👍👏👏👏👏👏
Son looks pissed 🤔
3:00 I disagree . I would argue having 5,000+ target gift cards in your trunk and on your person at the scene of the crime is a MAJOR INDICATOR . Where did you go to law school again ?
Most of the time, a barcode sticker is placed over the original barcode. The more sophisticated scammers remove the original barcodes and reprint a barcode they can access. As suggested in the video, NEVER purchase a gift card from a display rack with easy customer access. (Yes, I know these are common everywhere!) Check every gift card to see if the barcode is printed on a sticker. No actual untampered gift card will ever have a barcode on a sticker. The barcode will be printed on the card itself with no blotchiness or uneven bars in the code.
Just don't buy gift cards.
Stop buying gift cards!
He was just a foot soldier, Tony Soprano wouldn't be getting his hands dirty. The real enemy has yet to reveal himself
The real enemy are the companies who make this easy for you to get ripped off. Think...they put razors behind security glass but not gift cards costing multiples more.
Very observant.. The sacred and the propane
All that would have to do is issue a pin code to the purchaser
Well ya it kinda of does to his lawyer
This has been going on for 10 years or more. They told us about this when I used to be a retail manager back in 2016.
Our target and Nordstrom rack gift cards had $0 on them too. The pin was also completely covered. They said they can’t do anything. The stores get their money and we’re out. Happened last Christmas and this past Christmas.
This has been going on for a long time, its a easy fix yet they just continue to allow it but lock up laundry detergent.
Lmao 😅😂just because he has $5,000 in gift cards doesn't mean he is guilty 😅😂best attorney ever
He is right!
Lawyer didn’t even know how to answer
I always wondered why gift cards are put out so open to the public. Too easy of a scam.
Dang...smh thats crazy!!!...how could they know how to do that? INSANE!!!
That interview with the lawyer 😂
Disgusting. People are just evil these days.
I live in sacramento and got a $40 talent gc in November, went to use the other day and said $0
All that needs to be done is have the card pin be chosen and entered by the purchaser at the counter so the person who earlier "stole" card info will not be able to use it as-is.
Make purchase time user enterable pin as the required info when it is used after purchase.
Give cash instead of gift cards.
Why don't they start putting them in shelves too?
Its been like this for decades...they could simply alter the packaging. But that would cost extra....so why would a business do it? I swear his lawyer almost smiled. If i go in a store and every things locked...that just means no security to me...I wont shop there.
Wow he gets In look out
So exactly how do they do it ?
Lock the gift cards behind a glass cabinet. Just like you do electronics at Walmart. Simple.
This happened to me. I thought I was going through it, but holding onto the receipt and having all the proof helped at the end. Hope everyone who had this issue got it resolved
I experienced this empty card multiple times. Either gifted to o receive from someone. Every time I buy a gift card I always ask for gift receipt and tape it in the card. At least the person I gifted it to can bring it back where I purchase it.