Gift Cards

Bank gift cards, which resemble credit cards and can be used in a variety of shops, were almost entirely unregulated until late last year. Now there are at least some consumer protections on these cards, which carry the MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover logos. Some things to know: • Bank gift cards can't expire for at least five years after purchase, according to the new federal rules. And if money is added to a card, that new money can't expire for five years from the date added, even if the expiration date on the card comes sooner.

Cathedral City Mayor Pro Tem Charles F. Vasquez, who was arrested and charged with stealing public funds, has been released from an Indio jail on $50,000 bail, officials said. The Riverside County district attorney's office alleged he used a program for computer purchases to buy MasterCard gift cards and other personal items. Vasquez, 52, was charged with three felony counts of misappropriation of public funds in excess of $2,000. The councilman was arrested at his Cathedral City home Monday about 9 p.m. by D.A. investigators.

If you have a bunch of unused ? or partially used ? gift cards sitting in a drawer somewhere, you're not alone. Some experts estimate that the average family has $300 in unspent plastic cash. If the cards were issued by a single store or chain, they're only a minor problem. Under California law, these retail gift cards cannot expire or lose value over time. It's essentially like having uncashed checks in your sock drawer. So-called bank gift cards, which can be used at numerous businesses, can be more trouble.

SACRAMENTO - Over the last decade, millions of public dollars intended for wildlife preservation areas were spent off the books on state office needs, equipment and building construction, among other items, officials said Thursday. Last year alone, at least $1.7 million was diverted from California's Wildlife Restoration Fund to pay for office operations, routine bills and gift cards for official use, according to Mike Taugher, a spokesman for the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The tradition of giving is writ large on the holiday season. Sadly, you also have to check the fine print. Especially when it comes to the gift cards that Americans love to bestow. More than 95% of us have given or received at least one, and in 2007 more than 60% of people surveyed said they planned to give a card that year. Sales of cards were predicted to reach $87 billion this year, and according to Consumer Reports, they are the most desired gift among women. But some of the cards come with sharp, Grinchy edges -- early expiration dates or monthly fees that kick in when the card isn't being used and that can drain down its value considerably over time.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Facebook is rolling out a new commerce product: gift cards . The move is an expansion of its Gifts program. The preloaded cards will work with retailers in the real world. Initial launch partners are Jamba Juice, Olive Garden, Sephora and Target. Facebook is targeting a multibillion-dollar business as it tries to regain the confidence of investors who continue to be worried about the company's money-making potential. During a Wednesday call with analysts to review its fourth-quarter financial results, Facebook Chief Executive and founder Mark Zuckerberg said the company is still figuring out its gifts and retail business.

The Internet is no longer big enough for Google Play as Google announced gift cards for its virtual store Tuesday. The company said Google Play gift cards will be available at Target, GameStop and RadioShack. Google said Wal-Mart will also begin to offer the cards, but not until later this month and only from its website. The cards will be available at three different prices: $10, $25 and $50. The company announced the news online through a post on the Google Play page on Google+ along with a picture of the card.

Gift cards accounted for 18% of holiday spending last year, so likely some of us still haven't gotten around to using the prepaid presents. Here's a new way to spend them down: United-Continental airlines allows members of its frequent-flier program to exchange gift cards from major retailers for air miles. The Mileage Plus Gift Card Exchange accepts more than 60 types of gift cards -- Best Buy, Crate & Barrel, JC Penney, Peet's Coffee & Tea and Walmart, among them -- that have at least $25 credit and no expiration date.

Here is a roundup of alleged cons, frauds and schemes to watch out for. Campaign contributions - As November draws closer, campaign-related telephone calls are sure to increase. Some thieves are using the opportunity to scam those with an interest in politics, the Better Business Bureau said in a recent consumer alert. Several people have contacted the BBB to report that they have received suspicious calls from people who said they were raising money for political campaigns. People interested in making donations should visit candidates' official websites, which will include links to safely contribute, the BBB said.

Renewed demand for gift cards may extend retailers' holiday cheer well into January. Gift card spending rose to nearly 18% of total holiday spending this year, the highest percentage since 2006 and up from 14.6% last year and 13.1% in 2009, according to a consumer-tracking survey by the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs. The spending "might suggest a better sales performance in January as a result," said council Chief Economist Michael Niemira. He said this week will catch the first wave of gift-card redemption, with further activity on tap for the first two weeks of January.

A state program leasing wildlife protection areas to farmers failed to properly spend and report at least $1.7 million in rental income as part of the normal budget process last year, according to an internal state investigation announced Thursday. The irregularities in the program run by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife follow a string of similar controversies at agencies including the Recreation and Parks Department and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection where money was stashed in off-budget accounts.

SAN DIEGO - Two defense contractors and a corporation have been found guilty of being part of a fraud and bribery scheme involving phony payments for the repair of military aircraft at North Island Naval Air Station in Coronado. Robert Ehnow and Joanne Loehr, owners of Poway-based companies, were convicted Monday of showering Navy officials with gifts and cash in exchange for millions of dollars in payments for work supposedly done on planes at the Fleet Readiness Center. Loehr's firm, Centerline Industrial Inc., also was convicted.

SACRAMENTO - California lawmakers accepted a trip to Brazil, fine cigars and crystal ducks, among many other gifts from corporations, trade groups and other special interests last year. Assembly Speaker John Pérez (D-Los Angeles) received $17,800 in gifts - among the highest in total value, according to records released Saturday. They included $5,830 in travel expenses for an education trip to South Korea paid for by the Korean American Economic Development Corp. Pérez also received concert and sports tickets, nine gifts of cigars, and a $100 crystal duck from the California Retailers Assn.

SACRAMENTO -- Despite efforts to restrict the practice, California elected officials were showered with gifts last year from special interest groups, including tickets to Lakers and Giants games, concerts, cigars, expensive meals, lodging at casino resorts, golf games and foreign travel, according to records released Saturday. In August, legislators killed a measure that would have prevented companies that hire lobbyists from providing lawmakers and their families with tickets to amusement parks, racetracks and professional sporting events, as well as rounds of golf, spa treatments and gift cards.

Apple has sold its 25 billionth song through its iTunes digital store, and to celebrate the occasion, the company said it is giving the man who purchased the song an iTunes gift card worth about $13,525. To be precise, the gift card is worth 10,000 euros because the winner, Phillip Lüpke, is from Germany. Apple didn't give too many details about Lüpke other than the $0.99 song he purchased, which was “Monkey Drums,” the Goksel Vancin Remix, by Chase Buch. A version of " Monkey Drums " can be heard on YouTube.  QUIZ: Test your Apple knowledge With most iTunes songs costing $1.29 before tax,  Lüpke will be able to use the gift card to buy more than 10,400 songs -- although he could of course use it for movies and TV shows.

Phillip Lüpke likes to jam to and buy electronic music. Now he won't have to pay for it -- at least for a few years. Lüpke won an iTunes gift card worth $13,525 for downloading the 25 billionth song from Apple Inc.'s digital store Wednesday. The 22-year-old from Hover, Germany, said he got a call from Apple but at first didn't believe that he had won a gift card with 10,000 euros on it. That's roughly $13,525 based on today's exchange rate. "I was very surprised. First, I didn't believe that it's the truth, but Apple called me and yeah it's true," Lüpke told the Times in an online conversation, adding a smiley emoticon.

Twenty years ago, you might've given your friend an album for their birthday from a Tower Records retail store. Starting today, you can send them iTunes credit through Facebook, along with song suggestions and a birthday wish.  Facebook on Monday announced that people can now use its Facebook Gifts service to send each other credit for iTunes, the digital Apple store for music, movies and other digital content. In late September, Facebook launched Gifts as another way to generate revenue, hoping to capitalize on the many birthday and congratulatory wishes users send each other every day. Now, when you go to a friend's profile or click their birthday reminder, you'll see a birthday cake icon that you can click to begin the process of buying them a present through Facebook Gifts.

Gift cards are popular stocking stuffers because they take some of the guesswork out of gift giving but still seem more thoughtful than slipping cash into an envelope. From Home Depot to Best Buy to Nordstrom, retailers offer a card for nearly every occasion and person. But an Internet company says it's tapping an overlooked market with a one-of-a-kind card to appeal to shoppers interested in a different kind of giving. Causes, which helps donors link up with charities online, has teamed up with gift card marketer Blackhawk Network to sell $25 and $50 prepaid gift cards in 800 Safeway and Vons supermarkets in California.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Facebook is rolling out a new commerce product: gift cards . The move is an expansion of its Gifts program. The preloaded cards will work with retailers in the real world. Initial launch partners are Jamba Juice, Olive Garden, Sephora and Target. Facebook is targeting a multibillion-dollar business as it tries to regain the confidence of investors who continue to be worried about the company's money-making potential. During a Wednesday call with analysts to review its fourth-quarter financial results, Facebook Chief Executive and founder Mark Zuckerberg said the company is still figuring out its gifts and retail business.

Fresh off rave reviews for her Golden Globes co-hosting duties, Amy Poehler is about to tackle a more daunting task - - the Super Bowl ad for the troubled Best Buy chain. The comedian and actress, who scored what was probably the most oft-repeated line of the Golden Globes fest (it's at about the 1-minute, 50-second mark of the opening), will be the star of a 30-second ad for the electronics chain during the first quarter of the game, according to the Associated Press. “Amy is this comedic everyperson who can make things simple," said Scott Durchslag, president of Best Buy's online and global e-commerce.