Stores pull prepaid cards after off-duty officer in Gastonia finds defect

GASTONIA, N.C. — A man in Gastonia learned firsthand about a big problem with prepaid credit cards, and some local stores took action.

Brent Roberts bought a card at a drug store and found that many of the cards were missing the last four card numbers on the front. They also had no security code on the back.

The off-duty policeman said he discovered the problem after he bought one for a friend who couldn’t use it or get the money back.

He said he went to several stores and found dozens more just like it. Some managers took them off the shelves.

“There’s no way to check and see if it has the 16 digits, nor is there any way to see if the CVV code is on there. It’s once you buy the product, you are stuck with it,” Roberts said.

The Better Business Bureau told us it’s a manufacturer’s defect that has happened before.

You’ll have to keep your receipts and try to get the card maker to provide a refund or a new card.

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