Beware of gift card scam

By Jim Harmening

My friend in Wales sent me a warning this week. I must admit, I usually don't read all of what Kelly sends, but this was a great warning, and I wanted to send it to all of you. It is about Christmas scams.

Gift card scam

Crooks have found a way to rob you of your gift card balance.

If you buy gift cards from a display rack, you may become a victim of theft. Crooks are now jotting down the card numbers in the store and then waiting for a few days before calling to see how much of a balance is on the card. Once they find the card has been "activated," they go online and start shopping.

You may want to purchase any gift cards from a customer service person. They give you gift cards that are not viewable to the public.

Shipping error scam

This one involves your credit card number being stolen and used at an online store. The scam is that the perpetrator actually sends the item to your house. Yes, you are sent the item that they are about to steal.

The thief calls up and says he is calling from a company. He is apologetic about an item being delivered by mistake and they want you to ship it back. They have an RMA number handy and an address. You don't even have to pay for shipping because they will send you a sticker so UPS or FedEx will come to your house and pick the item up.

You guessed it, they are shipping the item not back to the manufacturer, but to their house, P.O. Box, apartment, storefront, whatever.

The next month's bill comes and the item is still on it. You contact the credit card company and the vendor and they say that they shipped it and you received it. They know nothing about the RMA number or the address that you were sent. Crazy!

Out of stock

I want to rail on a few companies -- 42nd Street Photo in New York, for one, for not knowing that an item was out of stock when I tried to order it. Circuit City did the same thing to me and it was very upsetting.

You go through the entire process of ordering an item. It gives you a price and then when it is time for checkout and, in Circuit City's case, they wanted to backorder the items.

Nope! Not me! Cancel, cancel, cancel.

42nd Street Photo was even worse, I checked out, gave my credit card info and received a generic e-mail that said they were backordered and I had 24 to 48 hours to respond to the e-mail or they would continue my order. I copied my reply to myself so I would have proof that I canceled the order!

For those of you who are still not distressed enough to not shop online, I have some organizational tips for you. Though my wife, Nancy, has much better organizational skills, I have much better computer skills, so I get to do the typing/ordering. She just makes the lists.

You should always make sure they have a physical address and phone number on the Web site. If they aren't "real," then you might want to shop elsewhere. You might even try the phone number to see if a live person answers. If they don't answer, don't buy.

If they do answer, then you can make your online order. After your order is completed, make sure you print out the order form from the Web site. You also will have to put in an e-mail address. A confirmation e-mail is usually sent. Print it out too. Keep those in a file and pull them out when your items arrive! Cross check your credit card and make sure your items were received. If they haven't arrived and your credit card has been charged, you will need to contact the company and get shipping confirmation. Otherwise contact your credit card company to cancel the payment.

Next week: I didn't get to the Nintendo DS cheats -- maybe next week!

Jim Harmening is president of Computer Bits Inc., an Orland Park computer services company. Send questions to Jim in care of Mary Beth Sheehan at info@bitsmail.com or at www.computer-bits.com. Personal responses are not always possible. Questions may be used in future columns.