HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - More than 70% of holiday shoppers plan to buy a gift card this year, making them a popular target for scammers who make off with $230 million each year.

AARP says a third of Americans receive a gift card with no money on it and fall victim to “draining.”

Here’s how the scam works -- criminals steal gift cards in bulk from the store, collect information from each card, return them to the racks, and drain the money when buyers load them at the cashier.

Consumer advocates warn shoppers to be vigilant this holiday season, and advise buying cards stored away from public reach or directly from the retailer.

Gift cards are also a popular payment method in financial scams.

“The way that they transfer money is they read the back of the pin numbers or the numbers on t

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