gift cards

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Chinese Mafias' New US Goldmine: Gift Cards
Chinese Mafias' New US
Goldmine: Gift Cards
longform

Chinese Mafias' New US Goldmine: Gift Cards

ProPublica: 'Card draining' is a thing, and the feds have established a task force

(Newser) - It's not your typical story about organized crime— ProPublica reports that Chinese mafia groups are ripping off American consumers and stores through mundane gift cards. And for the first time, the Department of Homeland Security has launched a task force to fight what's known as "card draining....

The Secret Life of Gift Cards
The Secret Life of Gift Cards

The Secret Life of Gift Cards

Billions go unused every year

(Newser) - Gift cards make great stocking stuffers—just as long as you don't stuff them in a drawer and forget about them after the holidays. Americans are expected to spend nearly $30 billion on gift cards this holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. Restaurant gift cards are the...

Every House in Town Got an Envelope. Inside: 'Hope'

Anonymous donor spent $82K on gift cards distributed in Earlham, Iowa

(Newser) - It pays to live in Earlham, Iowa. Residents of the town of 1,400, about 30 miles west of Des Moines, discovered a surprise in their mailboxes Thursday in the form of $150 in gift cards to local businesses. An anonymous donor spent more than $82,000 to ensure all...

Gift Cards Again? Here's What to Do With Them

Give them away or sell them, but don't let them sit around collecting dust

(Newser) - Gift cards are a popular present at the holidays—the National Retail Federation says more than half of consumers plan to give one this year. But they aren't always wanted—research organization CEB TowerGroup estimates that $1 billion of the $130 billion spent on gift cards last year went...

Target Had One Other Holiday Shopping Oops

A very small number of gift cards aren't working

(Newser) - The credit card hack Target suffered at the start of the holiday shopping season will go down as its biggest blow of Christmas 2013 ... but it won't enter the history books as the only shopping mishap. CNNMoney reports that some of the Target gift cards purchased over the holiday...

Haven't Used Gift Cards in 2 Years? NJ Will Grab Them

3 companies stop selling gift cards in state thanks to new law

(Newser) - Three gift card companies will no longer do business in New Jersey thanks to a law allowing the state to claim the value of cards if they are not redeemed within two years. American Express removed its cards last week, and yesterday Blackhawk Network and InComm—both of which provide...

Skip the Gift Cards: Just Give Money
Skip the Gift Cards:
Just Give Money
OPINION

Skip the Gift Cards: Just Give Money

Too many of the cards go unused: New York Times

(Newser) - Someone on the New York Times editorial board must have gotten some crappy gift cards under the tree this year: The newspaper today proselytizes against the ever-growing trend and suggests that people give cash instead. Too many cards get lost or forgotten, and considering Americans spent $27.8 billion on...

Gift Card Scam Warning Issued
 Gift Card Scam Warning Issued 

Gift Card Scam Warning Issued

Fraudsters are recording activation codes, Schumer warns

(Newser) - People buying gift cards for friends and family this Christmas should make sure that the concealing measures haven't been removed, Chuck Schumer warns. The senator from New York says fraudsters have been visiting stores where the cards are on the shelves and recording access codes in order to drain...

On Sale at Target: Facebook
 On Sale at Target: Facebook 
what it all means

On Sale at Target: Facebook

Credit gift cards make it easier to blow cash on FarmVille!

(Newser) - For those of us who can hardly handle the disappointment of having Facebook involved in only 93% of our lives: You can now shop for it! At Target! Facebook credit gift cards are hitting the aisle Sunday, in denominations of $15, $25, and $50 that can be spent on goods...

Gift Cards Can't Expire for 5 Years

Feds issue new protections for consumers

(Newser) - The Federal Reserve issued new rules today to protect Americans from getting stung by unexpected fees or restrictions on gift cards. Under the rules, consumers must have at least five years to use the cards before they expire. Services fees can go into effect only after the first year, and...

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