As consumers lose millions to gift card scams, US lawmakers pressure businesses

Gift card displays, such as this one in a CVS in Harlem, New York, have been a source of concerns for lawmakers hoping to combat gift card fraud. 'Card draining', or stealing numbers from poorly packaged cards, is one of the costliest and most common consumer scams, and states are trying to combat it with consumer alerts, arrests and warning signs on store displays. — Stateline/TNS

When Denise Brown peruses the tightly packed gift card display at her local CVS in Harlem, New York, she sees the perfect present for her grandson: a Sony PlayStation gift card.

Others, acting in bad faith, see these gift card displays as easy money in one of the country’s costliest and most common consumer scams: card draining.