Montanans Protect Yourself From These Gift Card Scams

The holiday season is underway, and whether you have already started shopping or you are a person who waits until the last possible minute, odds are that at least one person on your list will be getting a gift card.

Montanans Will Give Gift Cards This Year

Not everyone is easy to shop for so a lot times it is just easier to grab a gift card. More people are giving gift cards every year. According to Cardcash.com 73% of people will be buying gift cards. On average most consumers will purchase at least 2 gift cards this year.

Montana Be Aware of These Gift Card Scams

If you plan on going the gift card route there are some things you need to be warned against. Criminals and thieves are getting more creative with their ways of ripping off unsuspecting consumers. The below video gives you some good examples of how to avoid being ripped off. It has over 109,000 likes and almost 2 million views.

To help protect yourself, you can ask a cashier for a gift card that hasn't been on display. Most stores have gift cards behind the counter for cashiers.

Montana's Gift Certificate Laws

Montana has laws to help protect consumers when it comes to gift certificates. According to Montana law:

1.  A gift certificate is valid until redemption and does not terminate.
2. The value represented by the gift certificate belongs to the possessor and not to the issuer or seller.
3. A gift certificate may not be reduced in value by any fee, including a dormancy fee applied if a certificate is not used.
4. If the original value of the gift certificate was more than $5 and the remaining value is less than $5 and the possessor requests cash for the remainder, the issuer or seller shall redeem the gift certificate for cash.

This holiday season be aware of the many scams that will be popping up across the state. Be safe and enjoy the holiday season.