Post-Christmas crowds packed stores and shopping malls across the Bay Area on Thursday, with many looking to find deals or return gifts.

At the Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, valet parking was being offered for an extra $20 to help shoppers get inside the shopping mall.

“You’ll spend an hour, maybe more, finding parking and you’ll be forced to get valet because it’s that bad,” said Vanessa Negrete, who went to shop at Target on Thursday.

Negrete hoped to avoid the mall rush by heading to a Target on Coleman Avenue in San Jose, but ended up finding large crowds there as well.

“Really hectic,” she said. “Hard to get around. A lot of shopping carts in the hallways.”

With many people returning gifts, many others were still buying.

Gift cards remain one of the top gifts to give, but it does come with risks.

The Federal Trade Commission estimates tens of millions of dollars in gift card losses every month.

NBC Bay Area’s Responds team has covered gift card scams and provided the following tips shared by experts:

• If you receive a gift card, use it right away. Don’t give thieves time to steal what’s on them
• Next time you buy them, check for tampering or try or get a card that was locked up
• Consider giving cash instead

Chances are high you’ll give or receive a gift card this holiday season, but be careful. Consumer Investigator Chris Chmura has a warning for you, plus help for one Peninsula viewer.