Gift cards have become popular presents for the holidays, but a consumer group says they are often vulnerable to theft and fraud.

ValuePenguin says that nearly half of all gift cards do not come with protection against fraud.

“You do have to go online and look at the terms and conditions of the gift card,” says ValuePenguin’s Janna Herron. “The last thing to do is check the online balance and see if it’s secured either by a captcha or account sign-in, like Amazon.”

Consumer advocates also suggest that customers check the card’s terms for loss or theft protection. They also say to buy cards that are contained inside packaging to ensure that they are not tampered with. Cards sold behind locked counters are also encouraged.

Customers are also urged to use the cards as soon as possible to prevent them from becoming lost.