‘Vanilla’ Gift Card Scam: Consumers Sue Visa For Allegedly Failing To Provide Security – News18

Last Updated: January 31, 2024, 09:02 IST

New York, United States of America (USA)

Online scams of all kinds are running rampant across the world.

Online scams of all types are operating rampant internationally.

Visa was sued on Tuesday by customers who mentioned the cardboard funds community didn’t make pay as you go “Vanilla” reward playing cards much less more likely to being drained by thieves.

Visa was sued on Tuesday by customers who mentioned the cardboard funds community didn’t make pay as you go “Vanilla” reward playing cards much less more likely to being drained by thieves.

Ira Schuman, who leads the proposed class motion within the White Plains, New York, federal court docket, mentioned he purchased eight $500 Vanilla playing cards as vacation presents for his staff in 2022 and 2023, solely to study later that playing cards had been emptied.

According to the grievance, the non-reloadable debit playing cards are bought at CVS, Target, Walgreens and different grocers and retailers in skinny cardboard sleeves that thieves can open and, after recording account data, reseal with out being detected.

Thieves can then monitor http://www.vanillagift.com to study when cash has been loaded, and make purchases utilizing the stolen account data, the grievance mentioned. The rip-off is called “card draining.”

Schuman, of Scarsdale, New York, mentioned Visa and two Vanilla card issuers knew or ought to have recognized that their playing cards have been weak to tampering however didn’t add security measures, and didn’t present refunds when cash was stolen.

Visa and the opposite defendants, Incomm Financial Services and Pathward Financial, didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.

In November, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu sued Incomm, Pathward and two card issuers over the Vanilla playing cards. Visa, primarily based in San Francisco, was not named as a defendant.

Tuesday’s lawsuit accused the defendants of violating a New York state legislation in opposition to misleading and unfair shopper practices.

It seeks compensatory and punitive damages for individuals who purchased Visa-branded Vanilla playing cards in New York since Jan. 30, 2021 and noticed their funds drained.

The case is Schuman v Visa USA Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 24-00666.

(This story has been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated news company feed – Reuters)

Source web site: www.news18.com

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