A reader just ran into a gift card scam while trying to unload an Apple gift card via CraigsList. If you’re directed to a website that asks you to put in your gift card information in order to show the balance as “proof” that you’re legit, you’re being conned.

Sean writes:

I was recently trying to sell an Apple gift card on CraigsList and received a bite from a “buyer” who claimed they wanted the card but wanted me to take a screen shot of the balance from myapplegiftcard.com.

Having been scammed before on gift card BS, I was very wary esp since I didn’t want to scratch off the pin for someone who may or may not buy the card. Especially since the woman didn’t want to give out any info and pulled the old “you seem sketchy since you won’t do this” card to try to put me on the defensive.

I left it alone and relisted my card and got another email from her with the same hey we want it but please take a screen shot, problem this time she screwed up and put mybestbuygiftcard.com. Now I knew something was wrong.

I actually had a gift card from apple that had like $.50 or something on it so I went back to the myapplegiftcard.com site and put it in. Of course it says “this service is not available right now” and tells you to call the number. Pretty much validating spoof status.

On the mybestbuygiftcard.com site they actually just take the full Best Buy balance inquiry page and copy it. I called both Best Buy and Apple and told them of the sites and got the whole “Oh we will look into this.”

I just wanted to get the word out ASAP.

Scam sites:
myapplegiftcard.com
mybestbuygiftcard.com

UPDATE: Another reader, Richard, sent in the following tip on how to find even more of these sites:

Try this search on Google using “my*giftcard.com”. Way too many suspicious sites pop up.

(Photo: ARTS)

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