Incomm review: Vanilla gift card / incomm payments: funds stolen before activation, no investigation, no accountability

I am posting this review to warn other consumers about Vanilla Gift Cards and InComm Payments, not because of fraud alone, but because of how InComm handles customers after the fraud occurs.

I purchased a $500 Vanilla Gift Card from a Walgreens store in New York. The card was sealed and remained in my possession. When I attempted to activate it days later, I discovered that almost the entire balance had already been drained by unauthorized transactions BEFORE activation. This is a known gift-card scam pattern.

What followed was worse than the theft.

InComm Payments, the company behind Vanilla Gift Cards, closed my fraud case within about one week without conducting any meaningful investigation. They did not request the receipt, did not ask for photos of the card, did not provide any investigative findings, and did not explain how “pre-activation” transactions could possibly be valid.

Their own materials state fraud investigations take 45–90 days. In a prior, almost identical Vanilla Gift Card fraud case involving me, InComm took over 90 days, requested documentation, and ultimately replaced the card. This time, they simply shut the case down.

When I asked for reconsideration, I was told to “contact the merchant.” Walgreens confirmed they have no control over activation systems or balances and redirected me back to InComm. I was sent in circles with no remedy.

Emails were ignored. Phone calls ended with “the case is closed.” An escalation manager literally said there was “no reason” for the denial and terminated the call when I said I wanted to document the conversation.

I ultimately had to file a police report, which was accepted by the NYPD as Petit Larceny, and submit complaints to state consumer protection authorities. That should tell you everything.

This is not a customer service problem — it is a systemic accountability problem. If your Vanilla Gift Card is compromised, InComm may simply close your case and keep your money, regardless of evidence.

Do not buy Vanilla Gift Cards.
If something goes wrong, you may be left with no investigation, no explanation, and no recourse.