If you’re running out of time for shopping this year and you can’t even seem to find a bad gift, no strange objet d’art like a fish head clock or even a fish head tie, then you will probably end up purchasing a share of the $80 billion worth of gift cards being sold this season.

But know that about 10% of those gift cards’ values are never redeemed and are kept in the pockets of the retailers. Some recipients just aren’t the type to go shopping unless they really need something and others might think that not using the card saves money for the giver.

If you give a card this season, be sure you choose one that the recipient will use. Encourage the recipient to spend the full value of the card and to do it soon, as many cards now carry expiration dates.

Do them a favor by only choosing cards that have safeguards against scams. Don’t buy cards displayed on a rack where scammers could take down the numbers from the card or the envelope and spend the card’s value before your loved one has a chance to.

If all of that seems far too complicated and you are sill shy a gift - consider regifting the fruit cake Grandma sent last year.

Happy Holidays!

The newest scam involves gift cards sold at stores and given as Christmas presents.

Gift cards are often displayed on racks in stores. Usually they come in several styles and they are not activated until you purchase them and give them a value.

However, scammers are writing down the numbers on the backs of these cards. They can then later call an 800 number to find out if the card has been activated and use the numbers to make purchases online, effectively using up the card before the recipient has a chance to even open his gift.

One way to combat this would be to have the cards set behind a counter or available only at the register from the clerk. If you buy a gift card this year, insist on one that has not been on a display rack where it was accessible to anyone wanting to record the numbers on it.

A job at the Post Office sounds like a sweet deal. Good benefits and job security are just some of the attractive perks. But Postal Service jobs are not advertised in the Classified Ads.

A scammer, Jeffrey Wayne Simmons and his companies, Information Resources of Nashville, LLC and Career Services, LLC, misrepresented that they were connected with or endorsed by the Postal Service; that postal jobs were available; that customers would receive study materials that would help them pass the postal entrance exam; and that customers who pass that exam were assured jobs with the Postal Service. In reality, none of these claims are true.

In a settlement with the FTC, the Office of the Tennessee Attorney General and the United States Postal Service, a judgement was entered in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee on November 7, 2006 which stipulates that the companies will forfeit all their material assets (which include property, a motorboat, jet skis and more).

Beware of ads selling worthless prep materials for postal jobs or other government jobs.

Scammers have been using the internet to bilk consumers out of money and personal information with great success. Now the FTC has an online resource for consumers to hone their skills at identifying investment scams and research investment opportunities, promotors and references.

At OnGuardOnline consumers can read up on some ways to avoid investment scams or play an online game Invest Quest. As players move around the game board, they are asked questions related to investing online, such as deleting unsolicited requests for personal information, checking investment tips against unbiased sources, and using a security token. Correct answers have players investing wisely, and gaining life milestones: a car, home, education, and retirement. Wrong answers can place players in the unfriendly hands of hackers, identity thieves, and investment scammers.