Police are reminding people to check gift cards twice before buying them. 

The Verona Police Department said scammers are stealing gift card numbers and PINs from grocery stores, putting the cards back and waiting for someone to activate the card.

"They'll monitor the card online or sometimes use bots to be able to check the balances regularly. Once the card is bought and activated, then they can very quickly drain the funds and transfer the stolen money to other accounts, even use the funds on digital marketplaces," said Caitlin Driscoll, public relations director for the Better Business Bureau of Western Pennsylvania. 

The Better Business Bureau said this is a nationwide scam, with customers not knowing the card has been drained until they go to use it.

Verona police say they are looking for a person for questioning about the gift card scams at the Verona Giant Eagle. The grocery chain said in a statement that it is working with the investigation, saying it has taken steps to prevent scams, but card tampering can be hard to detect. It said it is working to get the customer's money back in fraud situations.

According to the BBB, there have been about 800 scam tracking reports involving gift cards this year.

"Make sure that it feels that it has a protective cover, that there is tape or a strip covering the pin that's intact," Driscoll said over Zoom.

Other tips include buying them from a trusted source or store, getting them in person, and not grabbing the first one on the rack. Also, use a credit card to buy a gift card, as it is easier to dispute and get your money back. If you do see one that looks tampered with, tell a store employee.

"It's a busy time of year. There are a lot of distractions. This is something to still be aware of instead of just grabbing the first card on the shelf without really looking at it," Driscoll said.