CVS taking steps to stop gift card scammers

Gift cards are a popular gift but are also a very popular way scammers can rip you off.

We've shown you several viewers who have lost thousands of dollars in scams involving gift cards.

Tom Garrett lost $425 after he bought that value in gift cards.

Garrett thought it was part of a DirecTV promotion and once he paid the money he would get the deal. Instead, he was communicating with scammers and once he read off the back of the gift cards to the scammers, the money was gone.

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This happens often as scammers pretend to be either with the IRS, Microsoft or a secret shopping company, but the scam is always the same as they ask for payment via gift cards.

CVS is taking steps to prevent people from losing money. If you show up at the register with a gift or prepaid card, on the payment screen you have to read a warning about scams and hit ok before buying them. CVS also requires identification any time you buy gift cards or prepaid cards of $300 or more.

Plus, CVS will only let you buy $2,000 worth of cards in a single day.

This is a good reminder if someone is asking for payment in gift or prepaid cards, that's a big red flag and probably a scam! Do not scratch off the numbers on the back of the card and read it to anyone because that is how value is stolen off these cards.

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