The New York City Police Department’s Crime Prevention Division alerts the public to a fake giftcard barcode scam.
It has been reported, that the perpetrators print out their own fraudulent barcodes and place them over the real barcode on gift cards at local retailers.
When the giftcard is purchased, the fake barcode is scanned, and your money is routed into the scammers account.
What can you do?
- Inspect the barcode on the gift card before buying by scratching the corner. If it peels off, it is a fake.
- Ensure the barcode printed on the gift card matches the barcode printed on the gift card packaging.
- When the gift card barcode is scanned by the cashier, the type of gift card displayed on the point-of-sale machine should match the card itself. If not, immediately cancel the transaction.
- If you notice anything suspicious about a gift card, notify the store manager immediately.
There have been no arrests made and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to call the NYPD‘s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1–800–577–TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1–888–57–PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers‘ website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
All tips will be kept strictly confidential.
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