LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The holiday season is a time for giving. But for scammers, it’s also a time for taking.

For one Louisville great-grandmother, the season of cheer turned into a frustrating ordeal.

Carol, who prefers to remain anonymous, was celebrating a joyous occasion—her first great-grandchild. To mark the moment, she purchased a $500 gift card from a Kroger store for her grandson and his fiancée.

But unbeknownst to her, thieves had already tampered with the card. By the time the couple tried to use it, only 7 cents remained.

“I don’t know how they do it, but they’ve got a good thing going for them,” Carol said, laughing in disbelief.

The couple initially used $115 of the card for essentials like formula, car parts and breakfast. However, within hours, nearly $400 had been spent on eBay in San Jose, California—transactions they never made.

This isn’t an isolated incident. In October, St. Matthews police arrested four men accused of tampering with gift cards at the Kroger on Hubbards Lane. According to authorities, the scammers opened gift card packaging, recorded the card numbers and returned the cards to store shelves. Once the cards were activated at purchase, the thieves quickly drained the funds.

The experience has now changed Carol's approach to holiday shopping.

“Do not buy a gift card hanging in the store,” she warned. “They’ve said you can buy them that are kept behind the counter, but I don’t think I’ll do that either. I’ll just give them cash or write them a check.”

Experts echo her concerns. To avoid falling victim to gift card scams, they recommend the following:

  • Choose virtual cards: Digital gift cards purchased online can’t be tampered with.
  • Buy cards from secure locations: If you must buy a physical card, opt for those stored behind a counter.
  • Use gift cards immediately: The longer a card sits unused, the more time thieves have to steal the balance.

For Carol, resolving the issue has been a challenge.

“I’ve called Kroger Valley Station location, corporate Kroger and they said to call the gift card and I've tried that and went through all the numbers, it was just recordings. You couldn’t talk to a live customer service person,” she said.

Kroger has yet to respond to inquiries about whether they’re taking steps to prevent future incidents.

As holiday shopping ramps up, Carol hopes her story serves as a warning. For those planning to give gift cards this season, a little extra caution could save a lot of frustration—and money.

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