BOCA RATON, Fla.-- Boca Raton police say a Walgreens store found several Visa gift cards with fake barcodes on them.
The Walgreens at 21324 St. Andrews Blvd., called police after a manager was checking its gift card stand.
Police said when the manager opened the package to three Visa gift cards she confirmed the barcode on the outside of the package did not match the inside, leading police to believe someone placed a fake barcode on the outside.
A police report said the barcode on the outside of the gift card loads onto the suspect’s barcode instead of the card being purchased.
Walgreens told police they were unsure how long the Visa gift cards had been there or if any had been sold with fake bar codes. Police said no reports have been made to them or to the store.
The store did check the rest of the display.
*GIFT CARD SCAM ALERT*
— Boca Raton Police (@BocaPolice) December 16, 2019
Scammers are placing their own barcodes over the actual gift card barcode at local retailers. When the card is activated, the money is added to the scammer’s card instead of the card being purchased. @BocaPolice provides safety tips in attached image. pic.twitter.com/YLoAg6RGCm
