It is TradeEdgeFriday. And Indicators of the Week is back — Plastics Edition. Today, we dig into how fraudsters have used Walmart gift cards to scam consumers out of more than $1 billion. We also find out why recycled plastic is actually more expensive now than newly produced plastic. And we learn how overdraft fees might be going way down.

Related Articles
ProPublica - How Walmart's Financial Services Became a Fraud Magnet

Financial Times - Petrochemical glut makes new plastic cheaper than recycled

Related episodes
Overdraft fees: From perk to penalty

The problem with banning plastic bags

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.