B.C. charity warns of gift card scam after a loaded card was blank

A Maple Ridge charity says a $500 gift card it bought for a family was found empty after purchase; the charity later reported the incident publicly and recovered the funds.

A Maple Ridge charity reports that a gift card bought for a family was empty when it was used. Recovery Kidz Society, which provides holiday gifts to children of parents in addiction treatment, purchased the $500 card at a Shoppers Drug Mart and later learned the family could not access any funds. The charity posted the incident on social media and received widespread attention. Similar reports from other local businesses and individuals followed. Key facts: - Recovery Kidz Society bought a $500 gift card for a family, and the family reported it had no balance when they tried to use it. - The charity says it ultimately recovered the $500 after drawing attention online, and a replacement card provided by the store also tested empty. - Other purchasers reported comparable losses after buying gift cards from the same retailer, including one business that said most of several cards it bought were drained. - The charity's founder has announced plans to pursue federal changes aimed at protecting consumers from this kind of fraud. Summary: The report highlights instances of gift card fraud affecting community donors and local businesses. Recovery Kidz Society recovered the funds and the founder intends to seek federal consumer-protection changes. Details of any formal corporate or regulatory actions were not specified in the report.