BATON ROUGE, LA – With Christmas quickly approaching, countless Louisiana residents will opt-out of shopping at busy stores and choose buying gift cards instead.

“Finding that perfect Christmas gift can be time consuming and stressful, so many take advantage of the convenience of gift cards,” said General Landry. “My office and I want to make sure that these consumers buy valid gift cards and are not scammed out of their hard-earned money this Christmas season.” 

General Landry offers the following tips to both those buying gift cards and those using them:

• Always buy from known and trusted sources – avoiding online auction sites as cards sold there could be counterfeit or obtained fraudulently. 
• Read the fine print before buying gift cards – checking for added fees.
• Note shipping and handling costs when purchasing gift cards by phone or online.
• Give the recipient of the gift card the original receipt in case of loss or theft.
• Before buying retail gift cards, consider the financial condition of the retailer or restaurant.
• Note special terms and conditions, like expiration dates or usage fees. 
• If the card is lost or stolen, report it immediately to the issuer. 
• Should the card expire before use, make a request for it to be replaced. The issuer may agree to exchange it or reverse deducted fees. 

General Landry regularly releases holiday safety tips. For more tips on how to protect yourself and your loved ones from fraud, call Attorney General Jeff Landry’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-351-4889. 

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