NYPD: Beware risk of fake barcodes on gift cards

December 28, 2022 Editorial Staff

Photo courtesy of CNET

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That gift card may be a fake, warn the NYPD and Brooklyn Community Board 11, which are alerting the public to check barcodes before purchasing these cards. Technology is partly responsible for this recent scam, in which individuals can print out their own fraudulent barcodes and place them over the real barcode on gift cards at local retailers. When an unsuspecting consumer purchases these tampered gift cards, the fake barcode is scanned, and the money gets routed into the scammers’ account.

The NYPD’s Crime Prevention bureau advises that New Yorkers can guard themselves against this fraud by first inspecting the barcode to make sure it does not peel off, ensuring that the barcodes on the card and its packaging match, and by observing when the cashier scans the card — and canceling the transaction if there is no match.