HYANNIS – Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a sharp increase in scams involving gift cards.
Scammers convince their victims to go out and purchase a gift card and recite the numbers on the back of the purchased card.
After the scammers have the number of the gift card, they are able to take the money in a virtually untraceable way.
AARP has started a three-year campaign to warn individuals about the danger of these types of scams.
From 2019 to 2020, Americans lost $1.5 billion more to scams.
If you, a friend, or a family member receives a call, text, or email from an unrecognized number asking for money to provide you with lottery winnings, other prizes, or social security issues, do not respond or engage the scammer further.
“They know that once you’re in a heightened emotional state, pretty much anything that they can tell you they can convince you,” said Director of Fraud Prevention Programs at AARP Kathy Stokes.
More information can be found on the AARP’s website here.
Maura MacDonald, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
About CapeCod.com NewsCenter
