My fault for even doing this, I thought I was doing something nice for someone. Anyway, as the title says, scammers can apparently get the redemption codes off of a gift card without the code even being scratched off. I had no idea about this.
I wanted to buy a game console on Craigslist (red flag number 1, I guess? lol), and the person requested that the payment be made half in gift cards and half in cash. They lived close by, so I was willing to drive out and see what this was all about. They shared a story about wanting to use it as a gift, and since it was an in-person transaction, I decided to go ahead and do that for them. It wasn't that big of a deal.
I should have listened to my gut, though, and not bought the cards at all, or at the very least not sent them proof of purchase until I saw them in person, because then they asked if they could see pictures of the cards *without* the codes scratched off. So I decided to do that, thinking there was no way they could redeem the money without seeing the codes, and they just wanted verification that I did in fact get these cards. I was wrong, and by the time I realized I was scammed, the cards were drained, and I was out of luck.
MORAL OF THE STORY: IF ANYONE ASKS FOR A GIFT CARD AS A FORM OF PAYMENT OR EVEN AS A GIFT THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW IN PERSON, **DO NOT SEND THEM PICTURES OF THE CARD.**