Welcome back to Fraud Friday with Guthrie County State Bank, where we are dedicated to keeping your money safe and providing you with the latest tips and tricks to fight off scammers. Today we are focusing on a specific method of payment that scammers often rely on: gift cards.
Gift cards might seem harmless but they are becoming linked to scams more frequently. Scammers love gift cards because people are familiar with them and they aren’t easily trackable after purchasing. Fraudsters pressure people into buying gift cards by creating a sense of urgency. They will often even talk to their victims on the phone while they purchase them. Any time someone is putting this much pressure on you for payment should sound off the fraud alarms in your head.
The biggest thing to remember: No one will ask you to pay them via gift card besides scammers. Gift cards are not a legitimate form of payment for government agencies and companies.
Once you buy the gift cards, load them with money, and give someone the numbers off the back of the card, your money is gone. Protect yourself by hanging up from any phone call where someone tells you to buy a gift card.
If you think you fell victim to a gift card scam:
- Report it to the gift card company right away – no matter how long ago the scam happened. You can use this How To Contact Gift Card Companies list from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to report it.
- Ask for your money back. Some companies are helping stop gift card scams and might give your money back. It doesn’t hurt to ask.
- Let the FTC know about the scam by emailing them at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Reporting these scams helps protect others in your community from falling victim to them.