Article: Retailers on guard against gift card fraud.

Byline: Karen Robinson-Jacobs

DALLAS _ Now that holiday gift card givers have handed out billions in plastic presents, the scam artists are as busy as Christmas elves.

Gift card fraud _ be it a simple sleight of hand or elaborate techno thievery _ is on the rise, experts say. As the use of gift cards grows, so does their attractiveness to crooks. Consumers bought an estimated $18.5 billion in gift cards this holiday season, up 6.6 percent from 2004.

Retailers and restaurateurs are working with trade groups, processors and law enforcement to spot and stop the latest scams without making the system too burdensome for legitimate consumers.

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