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.
For the moment, this scam has only been seen in the US and Canada, in several supermarket chains, but the scam could very well reach other countries. Nevertheless, you should remain highly vigilant and check any gift cards for suspicious stickers or markings. You should also be aware that you can buy gift cards online, but only from reputable sites.
Note that this fraud technique is not unlike quishing – or QR code phishing – which involves deceiving Internet users by sending them QR codes or displaying them in the street. When scanned, these codes redirect users to a malicious site where their personal data can be collected. – AFP Relaxnews
