The scam played out with Wal-Mart gift cards is a well known one; thieves scan the cards on the rack, wait for them to be activated by checking the Wal-Mart website, and then with card writers, program gift cards with the same info and use them before the purchaser to buy stuff from Wal-Mart, which they then return for cash.

Here is a story about the first time this scan has played out on American Express gift cards. If you have bought Visa, Mastercard, or Amex gift cards from a display at Safeway, Walgreens, etc. they are very well packaged such that you can’t scan the card until the package is opened, so that someone used this scam is a surprise to me. Perhaps the cards were on display without such packaging.