Watch out for gift card scams this holiday

A man wearing a Santa Claus outfit looks at a mobile phone in London. Those intending to purchase gift cards should be careful not to use any that have a fake barcode on it or been tampered with. — AP

The run-up to the festive season can be a time when Internet scams of all kinds are rife. The latest example involves fake gift cards. This fraud is all the more vicious since it originates in real stores, not online. Here’s how it works.

The Zataz cybersecurity website has sounded the alarm on this worrying scam. In North America, hackers are sticking fake barcodes onto genuine gift cards purchased in-store by consumers. However, this new, fraudulent code doesn’t credit the gift card for a friend or family member as expected, but instead gives money directly to the hacker.