Gift Card scams are nothing new, but they’re appearing in different ways. The latest area alert comes from the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office, which received a complaint regarding someone who had been contacted through Facebook Messenger from a friend…or so it appeared. In fact, the friend’s account had been hacked by an imposter who told the intended victim that she’d been given $100,000 through a Federal Grant for retired people, and that the victim could also get in on the money. The catch was that gift cards would have to be used in order to pay a transfer fee, and that raised a flag – like it should.
As the Manitowoc County Sheriff posted in response, no legitimate business or government organization will ever ask for gift cards as payment, and card and PIN numbers should never be shared. And when you’re in doubt, speak to someone you trust.
The intended victim in this case contacted the friend in-person, determining that it was all a scam, and the victim is now the owner of the Facebook account that was hacked in the first place.
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