Ever since my last Vanilla card tampering incident, I was making sure to only buy new cards in packs or cards in the inside cabinet. However, the store started to run out of new packs and I was depleting the cabinet supply. I eventually got lazy and just started grabbing cards off the pegs, thinking “These cards are probably new and haven’t been tampered with….”
Sure enough, last week, 2 out of 6 cards were tampered with. But it was a new type of tampering than before. Usually, the scammers scratch off the digits or CVV, but these scammers decided to super glue paper over the magnetic swipe, thus blocking you from being able to swipe the card. Luckily it had only been 4-5 hours since I had bought the card and was able to call Incomm and have them send me replacement cards (I hear this process is faster since the balances on the cards remain.)
Here’s a helpful Twitter thread
Lastly, it seems San Francisco is suing Incomm for not taking this more seriously.
Just ran into my first tampered Vanilla today as well as 2 tampered Apple GC’s purchased from the same CVS. Apparently taking advantage of the Freedom Unlimited 6% drug store isn’t going to be as easy as I thought.
CVS, Safeway stores in my area have pulled All VGC’s, Amazon, Google, Apple cards and more from the racks due to tampered with cards.
CVS has moved them behind the counter in photo’s. Safeway still have the SS on the racks.
I now open ALL the cards before I buy after getting 2 tampered Vanilla’s from Safeway.
they don’t care that you’re opening at the check stand? I might do this too.
No. I must say I am a regular, I’m in my stores 5-7 days a week. I know just about every cashier by name now.
I now open and inspect each package as soon as possible. If there are any signs of anything being off, I call Incomm and report them as lost. Since there is generally a lag in between when the funds can be used after activation, the funds are always intact and they just send new cards (typically in a week or so).
Now I open the package and examine it before buying it.
This is why I cut back on buying these cards. Glad I have my 5% Utility card as well as 5% on Groceries all the time. Only time I buy these is for medical Co pays… Just looking to get by
What card gives 5% back on utilities?
SYW MC often offers 5% or sometimes better. Often the offers are stackable with other bonuses like online purchases.