Agents from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office in partnership with the Arizona Retailers Association and other law enforcement partners have seized thousands of cloned gift cards and other merchandise after serving search warrants. Eight people were also arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into an organized retail theft scheme related to gift card cloning.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, gift card cloning happens when fraudsters take gift cards from stores, copy the magnetic strips, and return the copied gift cards to store shelves. When a consumer buys the card, the fraudster uses the copied magnetic strip to drain the funds leaving the consumer with a worthless card.
Consumers can avoid being defrauded by double-checking to ensure that the number on the back of any gift card matches the number on the receipt. If the numbers do not match, that is a sign the card has been cloned.
Consumers should also look for signs of tampering, such stickers placed over activation codes or damage to packaging or faint scratches on the card from being swiped through a card reader.
For extra precaution, consumers may consider purchasing gift cards stored behind the counter or near cash registers.
If you believe you have been the victim of fraud, you can file a complaint by visiting https://www.azag.gov/complaints/criminal. If you need a complaint form sent to you, contact the Attorney General’s Office at (602) 542-8888.