CONSUMER AFFAIRS OFFICE
Township of Livingston
DIRECTOR: WALTER D. LeVINE
Director’s Office: (973) 377-3313
CONSUMER ALERT:
HOLIDAY SCAMS
Posted January 4, 2007
As Director of our Consumer Affairs office,
I try to keep our residents informed in the latest information
of interest; in particular information on identity theft and
new consumer scams.
As we enter the holiday season, I alert our
residents, and also our local businesses, of the latest potential
consumer scam, which has been identified as being real by SNOPES.COM.,
one of the on-line services that tries to verify the truth or
falsity of many of these matters. As recently reported by SNOPES:
“Well, the crooks have found a way to rob you of your gift card balance.
If you buy gift cards from a display rack that has various store cards, you
may become a victim of theft. Crooks are now jotting down the card numbers
in the store and then wait a few days and call to see how much of a balance THEY have
on the card. Once they find the card is "activated," they then go
online and start shopping.”
It is reported that this theft has cost consumers who purchased
these cards between $25.00 and $500.00 each. It is suggested
that rather than purchase your card “off the rack,” that
you purchase your card from a customer service person, where
the the gift cards are not viewable to the public, thus allowing
the card number and verification information to be noted by a
potential thief.
A last reminder about gift cards; read the small print on the
back of the card, which explains the issuer’s policy on
monthly fees (reduction in card’s value) for delayed usage.
In many instances, this can exhaust the card’s value before
it is used.
A caution reminder as the holiday season approaches.
Remember to keep purchases, purses, backpacks and other bags
out of view by locking them in your trunk. Criminals know to
walk through shopping center parking lots to look for your newly
purchased gifts, and can enter your car and disappear rapidly.
Also, be sure to keep the receipts separate from the purchased
items. Criminals often return the items for cash or a gift card
before you ever know they're gone!
Walter
D. LeVine
Consumer Affairs Office
Township of Livingston
973 535-7976
