'Tis the Season for Thieves

Mara Thorpe received a $150 gift card from a friend.

The offering lifted her spirits as she recovered from an intense oral surgery.

But when Thorpe went online to register the pre-paid Visa card, she learned the money had already been spent.

The friend purchased the credit card present at a Ralphs in Long Beach. The cashier scanned the barcode and added value to the card. A few days later it was tucked into a get-well greeting card and mailed from the Los Alamitos post office to where Thorpe was staying in Mission Viejo.

After the card was mailed – and prior to Thorpe receiving it – someone used up $149.95 of the Visa’s value at a CVS Pharmacy in Los Angeles, Thorpe discovered.

“I went online to register my card and I found out it was already registered,” Thorpe, a spiritual life coach, said through email. “I looked at the card’s statement and there was only five cents available. I was so disappointed. Angry. Confused. Sad.”

Puzzled as to how this could happen, Thorpe contacted Visa and the company faxed a form for her to fill out. However, it contained the wrong account and name.

“I called them back. Since it turned out my fax wasn’t working anymore, they said they would mail me the form to fill out and send back. I never got it,” Thorpe lamented. “I called them again and they are sending the form out, again. So frustrating. They’ll have 90 days after they get the form to figure it out and get me back my money, at least, I hope they do. Someday I’ll get my gift money.”

Thorpe said she has accepted the situation for what it is and that bad things can happen to nice people.

“I know eventually I’ll get my money and when it comes, the timing will be perfect.”

It remains unknown how the thief did it.

Consumer Reports warned about a particular gift card scam on its website last December.

The hacker jots down the barcode information from the back of the card, which a few companies hide with a tab to be removed by the cashier. Then the security code strip is scratched off.

The crook then puts a new strip over the old one. When money goes onto the card, he or she is notified of the upload through the internet with the help of software, according to Consumer Reports.

The organization recommends buying gift cards directly from the retailer online, as criminals have a harder time accessing those cards.

Rather than buying gift cards from a kiosk out in the open, purchase them from behind a counter “or in well-sealed packaging, such as those from American Express, Mastercard and Visa,” the Dec. 14, 2016 article states, among giving other tips.

Meanwhile, loaded gift cards are not the only things being stolen. Robbers are taking delivered packages from front porches.

If residents see something, the Long Beach Police Department encourages them to say something by calling (562) 435-6511 to report suspicious activities or 9-1-1 for emergencies.

The LBPD recommends tracking packages, being available for delivery, requiring a signature or choosing in-store pick up.

In a Dec. 1 press release, the LBPD provided the following safety tips:

While shopping:

• Place all gifts and packages in the trunk or out of sight
• Be aware of your surroundings at all times and walk with confidence
• Park in well-lighted areas
• Avoid shopping alone; there is safety in numbers
• Use credit or debit cards for purchases to avoid carrying large amounts of cash
• Keep car doors locked and windows closed
• Carry purses or bags close to your body
• Have your car keys in hand prior to arriving at your vehicle
• Report suspicious persons or packages to on-site security or police

Suggestions in and around your home:

• Keep gifts in areas that cannot be seen from doorways or windows
• Install exterior motion sensor lighting
• Keep bushes and shrubbery trimmed to eliminate places for thieves to hide
• Postpone mail and newspaper deliveries while traveling
• Do not store gifts in vehicles or unsecured areas

Suggestions for business operators:

• Lock unused doors (in compliance with fire codes)
• Keep only necessary cash in the register
• Vary the schedule and route of your bank deposits each day
• Make sure the register is clearly visible to passers-by
• Advertise your security alarm system with signs in visible locations
• Invest in video surveillance cameras and ensure they are operational at all times and capture facial features
• Develop a mutual aid system among stores on your block or close to you and keep an eye on one another

kirt@beachcomber.news