: New toolkit for retailers to help stop gift card scams lfair December 21, 2020 | 2:18PM New toolkit for retailers to help stop gift card scams By Lesley Fair In many ways, gift cards ushered in a win-win era. Better gift-giving (and getting) for consumers and increased sales for retailers. But leave it to scammers to try to mess up a good thing. According to an FTC Data Spotlight , gift cards are now the top method of payment favored by many fraudsters. For years, the FTC has warned consumers about gift card grifters. Now there’s a new Stop Gift Card Scams Toolkit to help retailers do their part to prevent this form of fraud. Back in the olden days – say, four or five years ago – wire transfers were con artists’ favorite. Many still use that method, but according to the Data Spotlight , since 2018, people have reported losing almost $245 million to gift card scams, with a median individual loss of $840. The scam may start with a call from an imposter claiming to be from the IRS or other government agency and[...]