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Authorities warn of scam involving fake barcodes on gift cards

Gift cards with fake barcodes were found a King Soopers in Centennial, according to the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office.

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) warned Tuesday of a recent scam involving gift cards.

A scammer will print out their own barcodes and place them over the real barcode on gift cards at local retailers. When the card is activated, the money gets added to the scammer's card instead of the card that's being purchased, ACSO said.

Gift cards with fake barcodes were found at a King Soopers in Centennial, ACSO said. A woman who purchased a $500 Visa gift card there found afterward that were were no funds on the card.

The ACSO offered some tips to avoid this scam:

  • Examine the back of the gift card before buying it. Check for signs of tampering, like a barcode sticker.
  • Make sure the gift card's barcode number, which is visible through the window on the back of the gift card's packaging, matches the number on the packaging itself.
  • Pick a gift card from the middle or back of the rack. They're less likely to have been tampered with.

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