HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) – Despite countless warnings and words of advice, gift card scams continue to be prevalent in Nebraska.
No, we’re not talking about somebody accidentally buying you a bad gift card or one that doesn’t get loaded correctly – instead, we’re talking about someone who comes across as a real government official or law enforcement member saying that you owe a certain amount of money to their agency.
Unfortunately, these scammers have been convincing in this scheme. So much so, that they convince people to pay back what they ‘owe’ in gift cards. However, according to Better Business Bureau Public Relations Director Josh Planos, this is something reliable agencies would never do.
”There is no situation in which that is a legitimate request by a government agency, and yet this is precisely what IRS impersonators, law enforcement impersonators always turn to,” he said.
One of the reasons that is, is because it’s a scam not only they’re getting away with, but usually there’s no bank or credit card company that can track down the scammer or the transactions.
”Gift cards do not carry the same protections as credit or debit cards, so funds spent on gift cards are typically funds that you don’t get back,” Planos said. ”Typically when these gift cards are requested as payment in these scams, the scammers instruct the buyer to buy a gift card or several and either ready the numbers on the back over the phone or send a photo of the numbers on…
