SOCIETY
Walmart pay out to scammed customers: who benefits and how to claim
The shopping giant has become a target for scammers, but the popular chain is taking steps to compensate defrauded customers.
With an average of 230 million customers per year, the retail behemoth has understandably become yet another target for scammers. In just the last few years, thousands of fraud attempts have been reported via the purchase of gift cards.
Walmart refund after shopping scams
According to an article from Solo Dinero, the modus operandi of scammers involves directly communicating with buyers, posing as customer service representatives. Once people are trusting, they ask them to purchase gift cards ranging from $500 to $1,000 and then request the barcode and PIN numbers, claiming that they need this information to validate the origin of the cards as well as their balance.
While this is the most common mode of operation, some victims also claim to have received a call from a customer service representative, asking them to acquire a card and provide its details to urgently settle the balance of a service. According to information from Top Class Actions, gift card scams started in 2015 and have since affected major companies, including Walmart, Amazon, and Apple.
Who benefits from Walmart refunds?
Mid-year, Walmart reported compensation of up to $4 million for all affected customers. This compensation benefitted consumers who purchased a company gift card between 1 April 2016 and 31 July 2017, with a deadline to claim compensation of 29 June 2023.
However, as gift card scams continue to occur, new defrauded consumers are urged to report immediately.
How to request a refund from Walmart?
If you were a victim of gift card scams, the first thing you should do is contact Walmart’s hotline at (888) 537-5503 and report what happened. In this way, a representative will provide you with instructions to request your refund, provided you have the necessary documentation to prove the purchase of the gift cards and the scam.
In addition to filing your request directly with Walmart, it is also recommended to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.