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December 19, 2023

Scammers are reportedly targeting gift cards with elaborate schemes draining customers of money and creating unwanted chaos during the holiday season.

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The Better Business Bureau is reporting a 50% increase in gift card fraud this year compared to last, Fox News reported. The problem is so bad some retailers have been forced to innovate.

And a victim of so-called “card draining” the current scam authorities are warning about spoke to the outlet about her own ordeal, which nearly cost her $200.

Suzanne Gdovic told “Fox & Friends First” Monday she had purchased a Target gift card for $200 to give to a friend. At the time of purchase, she had no idea scammers had already compromised the card.

When the recipient went to use the gift card to buy items for a baby, there were no funds left on it.

“She was told there was a zero balance on the card and was also told that the gift card was assigned to another person’s account,” Gdovic said. “There was no money there for her to use for all of the things that she was buying for the new baby.”

Scammers reportedly took information from the gift card and siphoned off the money.

Gdovic spoke to a store manager, who clued her in on the scam. People with nefarious goals will grab the card information by scratching off the silver lining concealing the protective security code. Once they have the code, they will return the silver lining and return the card to store shelves.

Then, they can use the code to track when people add money to the card. That money is then strategically taken and used by the scammers.

Gdovic was able to get her money back, but she recommends people take photos of all receipts and cards to make sure there’s no problems if and when they become victims of the scheme.

This isn’t the only gift card scam, though, as the Pinole Police Department in California recently recorded a video explaining a similar way people are stealing money.

“Scammers are using various tactics to trick people into purchasing gift cards that have the security code cut off, which would allow them to use your money,” the department said in a Facebook statement.

Patrol Sergeant Barry Duggan then showed people in a video how scammers are cutting off the top of gift cards and then sealing them back up. Once returned to the stores and placed back on shelves, thieves gain access to any funds potentially added to these now-defunct cards.

“Somebody was taking all these cards from the store taking them home,” Duggan said, noting the envelopes would be heated up, the cards removed and cut, and then placed back inside.

The officer recommended people feel the outside envelopes to ensure a full gift card is inside before purchasing, or, with the store’s permission, open the envelopes as they check out to ensure everything is intact.

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Technology

China says Nvidia violated anti-monopoly law after preliminary probe

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China says Nvidia violated anti-monopoly law after preliminary probe

China is one of Nvidia’s largest markets, particularly for data centers, gaming and artificial intelligence applications.

Avishek Das | Lightrocket | Getty Images

China’s market regulator on Monday said that Nvidia violated the country’s anti-monopoly law, according to a preliminary probe, adding that Beijing would continue its investigation into the U.S. chip giant.

Shares of Nvidia were down around 2% in premarket trading.

Late last year, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) opened an investigation into Nvidia in relation to the acquisition of Mellanox and some agreements made during the acquisition. Nvidia acquired the Israeli technology company that creates network solutions for data centers and servers in 2020, in a deal that was approved by China at the time with certain conditions.

In a preliminary investigation, the SAMR said Nvidia had violated China’s anti-monopoly laws in relation to that acquisition and its conditions. China’s market regulator did not specify how Nvidia allegedly breached the country’s laws.

CNBC has reached out to Nvidia for comment.

China targets Nvidia with anti-monopoly probe

The update from the SAMR has the potential to complicate trade talks between Chinese and U.S. officials that began on Sunday in Madrid, Spain.

Tensions between Beijing and Washington appear to be on the rise on the technology front. China opened two separate probes into semiconductors on Saturday: one is an anti-dumping investigation into certain chips imported from the U.S., while the other is an anti-discrimination scrutiny of U.S. restrictions on China’s chip industry.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for more.

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Environment

U.S. and Britain to sign flurry of major nuclear power deals during Trump’s state visit

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U.S. and Britain to sign flurry of major nuclear power deals during Trump’s state visit

A Thames Valley Police officer from the Police force’s Specialist Search Unit, accompanied by police dog Jack, carries out security searches outside of Windsor Castle in Windsor, on September 12, 2025, ahead of the State Visit by US President Donald Trump.

Jordan Pettitt | Afp | Getty Images

The U.S. and U.K are expected to sign a flurry of major new deals during U.S. President Donald Trump‘s state visit to Britain this week, seeking to kickstart a “golden age” of nuclear power.

Some of the multi-billion-pound agreements set to be inked include plans by U.S. and U.K. companies to build up to 12 advanced new modular reactors in Hartlepool, a port town in northeast England, and a push to develop data centers powered by small modular reactors (SMRs) in Nottinghamshire.

The cross-Atlantic partnership is hoped to generate thousands of jobs, speed up the process of building new nuclear power stations and unlock billions in private investment.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday said the two countries were “building a golden age of nuclear” that would put them “at the forefront of global innovation and investment.”

The deal announcement reaffirms both the U.S. and U.K.’s embrace of nuclear power, particularly when it comes to fueling the energy-intensive data centers needed to train and run massive artificial intelligence tools.

X-Energy, a U.S.-based company aiming to develop high-tech nuclear plants, and British Gas owner Centrica said the Hartlepool plans would generate enough power for up to 1.5 million homes and create up to 2,500 jobs.

The companies also estimate the overall program could deliver at least £40 billion ($54.25 billion) in economic value.

The Sizewell A and B nuclear power stations, operated by Electricite de France SA (EDF), in Sizewell, UK, on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

U.S.-based Holtec meanwhile said plans to build advanced data centers powered by SMRs in Nottinghamshire would be worth around £11 billion. The project is set to be jointly developed by Holtec, EDF and Tritax.

SMRs promise to have smaller and lighter footprints than traditional power plants, potentially making them cheaper and quicker to build when they are fully commercialized.

Amazon and Google both signed deals last year to develop SMRs in the U.S., as tech giants increasingly turn to nuclear power to fulfill the growing energy demands of data centers.

‘A true nuclear renaissance’

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Business

Blackstone to pledge £100bn UK investment during Trump visit

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Blackstone to pledge £100bn UK investment during Trump visit

Blackstone, the private equity giant which owns stakes in Legoland and swathes of British real estate, will this week pledge to invest £100bn in UK assets over the next decade during President Trump’s state visit.

Sky News has learnt that the investment group will unveil the commitment as part of a government-orchestrated announcement aimed at shifting attention back to the economic ties between Britain and the US.

President Trump’s arrival in the UK this week will come against a febrile political backdrop, following Lord Mandelson’s sacking as US ambassador over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Money blog: ‘I’m a celeb photographer’

Ministers have already begun announcing billions of pounds worth of partnerships in sectors such as financial services and nuclear power, with further deals to follow in areas including artificial intelligence.

Blackstone’s £100bn commitment to UK investments over the next decade forms part of a $500bn European splurge announced by the buyout firm in June, according to a person familiar with its plans.

The figure will encompass private equity buyouts as well as other forms of investment, they added.

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A source close to the firm said it had agreed to invest the sum following talks with Downing Street officials led by Varun Chandra, Sir Keir Starmer’s business adviser.

Blackstone has for decades been one of the most prolific investors in British companies, and only last week triumphed in a £490m takeover battle for Warehouse REIT, a London-listed logistics company.

Last week, it emerged that Southern Water had banned water tanker deliveries to a country estate owned by Stephen Schwarzman, Blackstone’s billionaire chief executive.

Sky News revealed last week that Mr Schwarzman would be among the corporate chiefs accompanying President Trump on his state visit.

Blackstone, which manages assets worth about $1.2trn, declined to comment.

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