Glendora Resident May Be Victim of Gift Card Scam

In yet another possible local fraud case, a Glendora resident reported a possible scam that involved a purchase of a Wal-Mart gift card that was purchased using Craigslist and a PayPal account.

Glendora Police are investigating the case in which a $1,500 gift card was put up for sale for $900. The possible fraud was reported at 11:52 a.m. Monday.

The buyer had the money forwarded by PayPal, which removes money from the buyer’s bank account or a credit card. The seller of the gift card is based in Alaska.

When the buyer received the envelope with the card holder he noticed it was empty, said Glendora Police Sgt. Matt Williams.

Police told the buyer to make a claim to PayPal.

Still, resolving claims through Paypal can be a little sticky, say police. Buyers using PayPal can open a dispute on any item purchased as long as it’s done within 45 days.

However, PayPal does not provide purchase protection or a guarantee on a number of listed items, including pre-paid or gift cards. Instead, the buyer must dispute the problem and try to resolve it with the seller. It that effort is not satisfactory, PayPal steps in and tries to resolve the problem.

Craigslist warns consumers that it is not involved in any transaction “and does not handle payments, guarantee transactions, provide escrow services or offer buyer protection or seller certification.” Craigslist also cautions buyers “to deal locally with folks you can meet in person.”