Make Sure You Don't Fall for Gift Card Scams
Monday, August 26th, 2019 -- 1:32 PM
(Focus on Marshfield) -To pressure their targets into purchasing gift cards and handing over the numbers, scammers will often pose as an acquaintance or authority figure.A Wisconsin Rapids woman this week received texts from someone claiming to be the pastor of a local church, asking her to send pictures of three $100 gift cards and their pin numbers as a favor for a cancer patient, promising that she would be repaid. On the surface, the scam seems obvious. But through a variety of creative tactics, scammers can convince potential victims that they are who they say they are. In June, a Marshfield woman bought $300 in Google Play cards after receiving an email from her church pastor before discovering it was a fraudulent account when she went to deliver them in-person. Last November, a Marshfield man was convinced to buy $500 in iTunes gift cards after a scammer impersonated his boss through text message. Both discovered the scam before it was too late, but others have sustained significant financial losses by agreeing to send over the numbers on the back of the card. And once that happens, there’s little that law enforcement can do.
If someone receives a message that they suspect is a scam, the surest course of action is to not respond, then to block the number or email, or hang up. Engaging with the scammer isn’t effective at stopping them, even when the phone is handed over to a police officer. Recipients of these messages should trust their intuition and pause before taking any action. Discuss the message with another person for reassurance, or call or stop by the police department for assistance. Those who have fallen for a scam may be reluctant to report what happened due to a fear of others finding out and embarrassment over what, in hindsight, seems like an obvious scam. However, even police officers have fallen fall victim. Ultimately, the best way to avoid falling for a scam is to be educated about what to look for. With that comes the empowerment to hang up the phone and walk away.
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