Time now for our business beat.

Well, we're going to talk about some last minute ideas for you not to get scammed this holiday season.

How to protect yourself when you're buying gift cards and from porch pirates.

I mean, we have with us the expert Heather Clary, who is community and media relations coordinator for the Better Business Bureau, serving greater Kentucky and south central Indiana.

Good to see you.

Thank you for having me.

So this is a busy time of year.

I know you're doing a lot of these kind of media appearances, but there's a real big need because people want to know how not to get scammed and conned during this holiday season.

Let's talk about the Porch Pirates first.

Yeah, that's a big one.

It happens all year long, but the the threat of package thieves happens, especially this time of year with people expecting so many deliveries.

And especially as we're leading up to the holiday, it can be very easy for you to forget.

But porch pirates can be victimizing you and you don't want that to happen.

We do have some tips to kind of keep that from happening.

If you have one of those doorbells you should be able to see, you know, if it's been if it's been delivered, you can track gift deliveries as well.

Usually a website will allow you to do that just by clicking on a link to make sure where it is in transit.

Another way to keep someone from stealing things from your porch is to perhaps have it delivered, either to the retailer's location locally.

Or even get one of those lockers that some of them offer.

I know Amazon has done that.

Where you go to where the lockers are pushing a code, get the gift, go home.

That might even be a better thing to do with a more expensive item.

And it sort of disappears.

You may not get it back.

What about are there any size limitations?

You think if you're sitting somebody a 55 inch television?

Probably.

I don't know about that, but you can check with whoever you're ordering from because that's going to be some expensive shipping right there.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

And if you do see something, that's been stolen, of course you will make your police report.

Sometimes packages are delivered that can happen too.

We see that happen.

People on next door and Facebook.

I received a box that was for somebody else.

Yeah, but just kind of keep an eye on those kinds of things.

Try to get it off of the porch as quickly as you can.

If you're at work or away, perhaps a neighbor would agree to receive that package for you.

So those are some tips to keep in mind so that you don't lose those gifts.

And you would think, I mean, how bold and brazen are con artists and scammers and thieves because of all the people who have doorbell, cameras ring, whatever it is, and other security systems.

But it still keeps happening.

It does.

And we've even heard tales of them following the Amazon or UPS truck down the street just going right up after them and taking things.

Oh my goodness.

Well, so be careful and protect yourself.

Okay.

So now let's talk about gift cards.

Because this really does affect a lot of people because we think that's the easiest thing to do.

Go to the local grocery store or wherever convenience store.

Pick up a few of these gift cards.

But buyer beware.

What's the deal.

Exactly?

If you are still shopping for one?

Because you know who doesn't like the gift of shopping?

Yeah, or eating out or going to a salon or whatever it might be.

If you are on a rack selecting one first check for signs of tampering.

We will hear from folks who have tried to use a gift card later on down the road a few months later and find out that it's completely drained because there are scammers out there.

Somehow they have equipment and they might tamper with scan a code off of some cards on racks.

They have a website that they just deliver it all to, and then when they see that it's been activated, then they can spend it.

And then leaving you not even knowing it has even left your possession.

So.

So this does happen if you receive a gift card, although we would advise you to register it on the website that you can use it with if that's possible.

You can also always check how much is left on it by usually calling a number on right before going to the website and registering it.

If there's a password to it, you might want to change that just to help protect it and of course use it.

Yeah.

Don't leave it in the drawer for another year.

Right?

I mean, we do hear from people who say, well, I never could use it because this restaurant went out of business or that retailer went bankrupt, or I just don't have a way to use it anymore.

So if that person wanted you to have a gift you could enjoy.

So go ahead and use it.

Don't don't throw in a drawer and forget about it.

That's right.

Well, and also, Bebe recommends considering buying your gift cards online, but there is a cautionary measure here too.

You can do that.

Some sites you can buy directly from have a digital gift card that might be a little more safe.

Just be certain you're not trying to check the value that's left on a gift card.

On some websites out there that say, just enter your gift card number in there and we can tell you how much is left on it.

That's another way somebody can actually steal the value of.

Interest away.

From.

You.

Yeah, we used to hear it back a couple of years ago about companies that would buy back gift cards that were by gift cards that you didn't want.

You hear anything nefarious going on in that space recently.

But if somebody is doing that, I mean, they're also taking a chance.

Are you selling them a gift card that has nothing on it?

Right.

Yeah, yeah.

Consider this kind of a buyer seller beware type of things.

Yeah.

So maybe also recommends research how to use the card.

Not all retailers have the same policies when issuing a gift card.

What does that.

Mean.

Yeah I mean you want to use it.

They might have a time frame.

Generally gift cards are not supposed to expire, right.

Although there are some instances where after a certain period of inactivity, a small fee may be charged or debited from it.

This might especially apply to those cash cards like visa and Mastercard type cards.

So you want to look at that carefully just to see if you're going to lose any value on it.

If you don't use all of it on the first spend, there might be a few bucks left.

Still use it.

You may be able to get something for.

Less right up the road.

Some of those visa or Mastercard gift cards actually have a big fee up front that you pay 695 or something.

They do.

And that's just something that, yeah, that's the nature of the beast of buying one of those.

Yeah.

They wanted you to have it.

So register your gift card.

Do you recommend.

That?

Yeah.

If there's a way to get on the website that it's for, if it's for a retailer that's online, if they have a way for you to do that, or a restaurants, fan club or whatever it might be just to help give it a little extra protection and, just keep your eyes on it.

But keep in mind, don't put it in a website that you don't know.

That's the real deal.

Maybe you're going to a retailer you think is the real one, and maybe you've gone to a different one because you've just googled go to X store and it's a different one using a different kind of thing that can happen to holiday time.

Anyway.

That's right.

And one of the last items will hit real quick.

Be wary of websites that offer to check your gift cards balance.

And you mentioned this just a moment ago.

But for some of those out there, say, I'll just run this on there and see how much is left on it, but you've just given the card number to somebody you don't know, and there's really no reason for you to have to do that, right?

Generally, you can log right onto the website that the card is for.

I've done that myself.

Or call a number on the back and it'll tell you how much is.

Left on it.

Yeah.

Can you tell if a card has been tampered with when you purchase it at a retailer?

You want to look at the packaging very carefully.

See if it looks like anyone is trying to peel off that cardboard cover.

Usually there's a sticker or decal on the back of some kind.

You see that?

It looks like it's been tampered with.

You might want to choose another one.

Another way to maybe avoid that is to try to buy a gift card that's at a display closer to the cashier.

Right.

Because there's more eyes on it.

That's not a total protection because it can still happen.

But that's another thing you could do as well.

And we're also saying that retailers are getting wise and they're actually making them a little tougher once you remove them that you can't put them back.

Right.

I have seen that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It might be a little bit harder and some people still want to reach in the back and take one from behind.

Yeah I feel more comfortable.

Yeah.

Let's look at that packaging real carefully and give it to your recipient.

Usually you might get a gift receipt with it.

So include that because if something does go wrong, at least you can provide that to whoever the gift card is for.

That might be able to give you some recourse.

Heather.

Clary, you're just so wise.

Thank you so very much for the baby, for sharing all these great gift card ideas and how to protect ourselves.

Thank you so much.