Truro woman warning of credit card scam
TRURO, N.S. – Angela Maclennan and Chris Sullivan thought they were buying a prepaid Visa, but all they ended up with was a useless piece of plastic that cost them $150.
Now, Maclennan is speaking out to warn others about the scam.
She and Sullivan were shopping at Walmart late Monday afternoon and bought a Visa gift card to give as part of a Christmas gift, she said.
“It was sealed in a plastic sleeve that we opened later in the evening, so we could put the card in a Christmas holder.
“The first thing that caught my eye was the amount on the card. Instead of being a $150 Visa it was a $100 Mastercard.”
They called to check the balance on the card and discovered it wasn’t active.
When they examined the package closely they found a
barcode, that didn’t match the card, had been glued over the window on the back.
“We went back to Walmart and explained it had been tampered with,” said Maclennan. “They opened another and found the same thing had been done, so they pulled them from their shelves.”
This type of scam has been
reported in several places. Thieves steal cards, replacing them with other ones, and place a photocopy of the stolen card’s barcode in the window before returning the package to the rack. When the barcode is scanned and money is paid, the stolen card is activated.
“I’m worried about others who bought these for Christmas and didn’t open the packages,” said Maclennan. “I’d encourage people to check them. Because we’re likely not the only ones this has happened to.”
She dreads to think about how embarrassed the teen they’d purchase the card for would have been if the scam wasn’t noticed until she tried to use her gift at a shop.
The money the couple spent on the useless card hadn’t been refunded as of press time. Maclennan was told to go to the store Tuesday afternoon to speak to the manager, but when she got there she was told the manager was out sick and they didn’t know when she’d be returning.
Truro Police have been notified of the scam which they believe is new to the Truro area.
“Take your time when shopping and, if anything looks like it’s been tampered with, bring it to the attention of the clerk,” advised Truro Police Inspector Rob Hearn.