A woman spent $100 on a non-refundable Home Depot gift card from Target. When she wanted to cash it in, she found out it had been used eight months ago. She then turned to the internet for help on the situation, prompting many to share similar experiences and advice.
The original video is Heather Ohman, that she shared on Instagram. According to the woman, she purchased and gifted some clients these $100 cards, which were non-refundable.
When her clients later attempted to use the card, and so they went to Home Depot, opened the card in front of the cashier, and scratched the PIN. When the employee looked up the card, the card showed a balance of zero.
This lady bought a $100 Home Depot gift card at Target ?as a token of appreciation for a client of hers, however when they went to cash in the gift card they were informed that there were no monies available because of the card had already been used.
— ℳ???_?_????? ????? ?????? (@MAGA_X_Times) July 14, 2026
This leaves the client… pic.twitter.com/m6n3wedD9Q
The store employee decided to look into the history of the card and found out the purchase and usage history. According to the records cited by the woman, the card was bought in October 2025. A month later, in November 2025, someone spent the $100 in it.
There was one major discrepancy: she claimed that the card was bought on July 9, 2026. She even shared a copy of her Target bill, which clearly listed the purchase date and the items she bought.
After the Woman Spent $100 and Learned About the History, She Returned to Target
Next, the woman headed over to Target with the receipt, the packaging, and the card. Unfortunately, her efforts to get clarity were unsuccessful because they told her there was nothing they could do for her, despite empathizing with her.
Target told her the cards were non-refundable per store policy. After her interaction with them, she decided to pursue a fraud investigation with Home Depot and is awaiting a response from them.
The woman asked for accountability from both retailers and expressed her concern over being at a $100 loss. In the end, she wondered if anyone other than her had experienced something similar.
The Internet Stepped In With Advice, Empathy, and Remarks
The video was also shared on X and has been viewed over 244,000 times. It has sparked an array of responses to the woman’s concern and question. Many claimed they’ve had similar experiences and shared them in the comment section of the X thread.
One commenter offered an explanation of how gift card fraud typically works writing, “People go into stores like Target and steal a bunch of gift cards, carefully open the packaging to reveal the numbers.
I had it happen at Walgreens bought 100.0 visa gift card for our daughter for Christmas. When she went to use it there was no money on it. After going to visa they said the card was spent within hours of us buying it. They did not replace our money.
— Hardyholic (@HardyMessina) July 14, 2026
They added, “Then, register the card and put it back on the rack, and wait for someone to buy and activate it, and before they can use it, the thief withdraws the money.” Another commented on her experience, saying, “Oh, that’s not cool. At all.”
Another responded to the woman’s question about who’s responsible in this situation. They said, “For the consumer, Target is at fault. In the future, buy the gift card online.”
The Daily Dot could not independently verify the woman's identity, the specific store locations, or the card's purchase and usage history. Neither Target nor Home Depot responded to requests for comment.
