Across the country — and here in our local communities — scammers are increasingly targeting older adults with a common trick: asking for payment with gift cards.
Many people have reported receiving calls, texts, or emails from someone claiming to represent the Internal Revenue Service, a technology support company or even a relative who urgently needs help. These callers often sound convincing and create a sense of panic or urgency, telling the person that immediate payment is required.
In many cases, the caller instructs the victim to go to a nearby store such as Walmart, Target or CVS Pharmacy and purchase gift cards. The victim is then asked to read the 16-digit code on the back of the card over the phone or send it by text or email. Sometimes the scammer stays on the phone while the person travels to the store and buys the cards.
Once the code is shared, the money is gone almost immediately and is often very difficult to recover.
A Simple Rule to Remember
The most important thing to know is this: Anyone who asks you to pay a bill or fee with a gift card is a scammer.
Gift cards are meant for gifts, not for payments.
Common Gift Card Scam Stories
Scammers frequently invent believable stories to convince people to send money. Some of the most common include:
- Claims that you owe back taxes and must pay immediately.
- Calls from fake technical support claiming your computer has a virus.
- Someone pretending to be a grandchild or family member in trouble.
- Requests to pay fees to claim lottery or sweepstakes winnings.
- Romance scams where someone you met online asks for financial help.
- Offers to participate in a ‘secret shopper’ program.
These scams are part of a growing national problem. According to the Federal Trade Commission, imposter scams remain the most frequently reported type of fraud, with nearly 350,000 reports in a single year. Almost one in five victims reported losing money, totaling more than $328 million.
Based on reports per 100,000 residents, Florida, Georgia and Nevada rank among the states with the highest levels of reported fraud.