Shoppers in Scotland have been warned as organised crime gangs “tamper with gift cards”. Police have said thousands of pounds have been “drained” in a new scam.
With thousands of gift cards expected to be bought in the coming months, Police Scotland has issued a warning. Shoppers have been advised to inspect cards “thoroughly”.
The scheme involves gift cards being stolen and interfered with before being put back on the shelves. Once the card is bought, fraudsters are waiting online to use the funds, reports the Daily Record.
Many victims may remain unaware they have been defrauded until weeks or even months later, when the recipient attempts to use the gift card only to find the balance has already been emptied. By that point, both the fraudsters and their ill-got gains have vanished.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “While we are aware of gift card draining, offences of this nature are currently not reported in significant numbers within Scotland, however, we would urge retailers and customers to always remain vigilant.
“Store staff can help prevent such offences by displaying gift cards close to tills and other areas where it is less easy for criminals to steal them without being detected. For the public, we would ask that you inspect any gift card prior to purchase and if there is any evidence of tampering do not buy it – instead report it to staff within the premises.
“Any incidents of gift card thefts should be reported to police immediately.”
This follows Police Scotland’s Retail Crime Task Force (RCTF) recently dismantling a criminal gang suspected of tampering with gift cards before returning them to shop shelves. The scam was exposed during a joint operation in May and June involving the RCTF and a national retailer being targeted by fraudsters running a gift card scheme across Scotland and England.
The operation resulted in two arrests, with officers recovering more than 800 gift vouchers and £12,000 in cash. Shoppers are urged to examine packaging for signs of interference, select cards from secure or supervised locations where feasible, and retain their receipt.
Statistics reveal that shoplifting has reached record levels and now represents over 45% of all dishonesty crimes in Scotland. According to Police Scotland, more than 53,000 retail crimes were recorded in the year to March – an increase of almost 20% compared to the previous 12 months.
Retail staff are increasingly bearing the brunt of a growing shoplifting crisis, finding themselves on the frontline as brazen and sometimes violent offenders target shops, leaving employees vulnerable to abuse and intimidation.
Police figures up to February 28 highlight the alarming scale of the problem, with 5,089 shoplifting charges or detections recorded, alongside 1,122 arrests and 601 charges relating to offences committed against retail workers.
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