欺诈者在使用新购买的假日礼品卡之前,正在耗尽新购买的礼品卡的余额,这促使人们发出警告,立即检查贺卡。 Fraudsters are draining balances from newly purchased holiday gift cards before use, prompting warnings to check cards immediately.

许多美国人报告说,假日礼品卡,包括Julia Hodges收到的一张50美元的信用卡,尽管是新买的或收到的,却没有剩余余额。 Many Americans are reporting that holiday gift cards, including a $50 Visa card received by Julia Hodges, have no remaining balance despite being newly purchased or received. 这一日益加剧的问题,即所谓的“手持卡外流”问题,涉及欺诈者利用礼品卡系统中的脆弱性,在启动或使用贺卡之前排出余额。 This growing issue, known as "gift card draining," involves fraudsters exploiting vulnerabilities in gift card systems to drain balances before cards are activated or used. 专家说,卡片在运输过程中、通过黑客入侵或通过被盗卡片数据,特别是从第三方或网上购买的卡片可能会受损。 Experts say cards can be compromised during shipping, through hacking, or via stolen card data, particularly if bought from third parties or online. 敦促消费者立即核对收支平衡情况,保留收据,并向发行人或公平贸易委员会报告问题。 Consumers are urged to check balances immediately, keep receipts, and report issues to issuers or the FTC. 零售商和金融机构正在日益关切的形势下审查安全措施。 Retailers and financial institutions are reviewing security measures amid rising concerns.