It doesn’t seem to matter the time of year; scammers try to take advantage any time they can. And they reportedly are at it again.
According to the Sweet Springs Police Department, people are receiving a text message from an unknown number- a fraudster who is sometimes requesting codes from App Store and iTunes gift cards, or Apple Store or Vanilla gift cards.
“We want to make sure our citizens are aware of these scams.”
The agency says, regardless of the reason for payment, the scam follows a certain formula: The victim receives a call instilling panic and urgency to make a payment by purchasing any of the gift cards listed from the nearest retailer (convenience store, electronics retailer, etc.). After the cards have been purchased, the victim is asked to pay by sharing the code(s) on the back of the card(s) with the caller over the phone or through text message.
With the Vanilla gift cards, the available balance on it never expires; and when the fraudster gets the numbers off of the card, they can be used for online purchases just like a regular debit card.
“If you’re approached to use the cards for any other payment, you could very likely be the target of a scam and should immediately report it to your local police department, as well as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ftccomplaintassistant.gov.”
The agency says two of the incidents are being investigated, and anyone who has received any of these calls or texts is asked to contact the Sweet Springs Police Department or your local law-enforcement agency.