Is Gift Card Granny Legit

Is Gift Card Granny Legit - Have you received a voicemail or text message from an IRS agent warning you that you owe taxes and the only way to pay them is to send the agency an electronic gift card? Or maybe the state troopers will call and tell you that you owe hundreds of dollars in speeding tickets and the only way to get them off your record is to call the numbers on your Amazon gift card and pay your fines.

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Is Gift Card Granny Legit

If you receive calls, emails or texts like this, please ignore them. These are examples of gift card scams where criminals trick victims into sending gift cards online or reading the numbers on the back of a gift card over the phone. Fortunately, here's a look at the most common gift card scams and what steps you can take to avoid falling for them.

The thieves behind this scam rely on high-pressure tactics to scare people into handing over gift cards. The Federal Trade Commission says scammers typically call, text or email victims to tell them they're in financial trouble. They may claim that victims have failed to file their taxes, are behind on their mortgage payments, owe hundreds of dollars on speeding tickets, or are behind on their bills.

Scammers threaten to seize victims' homes, send them to jail or cut off their electricity if they don't pay. Scammers require victims to purchase a gift card and send them an electronic version of the card or provide the gift card number and PIN. Once they have that information, they use it to buy whatever they want with the gift card, and the victims don't pay back what they spent on it.

How Gift Card Scams Work

Scammers may try to trick you by phone, text or email. Here's how to spot and avoid scammers. In one of the most common gift card scams, a criminal calls you or sends you a text or email claiming to work with the IRS. This scammer says you owe back taxes and the IRS will arrest you if you don't pay now.

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The criminal says you should pay your taxes with a gift card. After you buy the gift cards—the scammer usually asks for a gift card from a specific retailer—you call the crook back and read your gift card numbers and PINs. The scammer will then use this information to purchase items online with the gift cards you purchased.

Is the gift here? First, the IRS will never call, text, or email you about unpaid taxes. The IRS will always send you a letter with a phone number you can call. Second, the IRS will never threaten to send you to jail for back taxes. Finally, the IRS will never require you to pay taxes with a gift card.

Gift card scammers often turn to bots — software programs that perform automated online tasks — to siphon gift card balances from unsuspecting consumers. Scammers can use a bot called GiftGhostBot to probe online retailers' gift card balance systems. The bot is looking for gift cards that have been activated on this system.

How Gift Card Scams Work

Once found by the borrower, criminals use the gift card number to buy themselves or sell the gift card information on the dark web. When you use your card, you will find that your balance is depleted and that the gift card is no longer valid.

One way to avoid this scam? Redeem your gift cards as soon as you receive them, this will make it less likely for robots to find your card details. Sometimes the store's cashier engages in fraud. Let's say you bought a gift card at a store.

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A cashier can activate this gift card, but instead of giving it back to you, they will replace the card with an inactive card. The cashier will then keep the activated card and give you a non-functioning card. The cashier can then use the activated card you purchased to make a purchase.

The best way to avoid this scam? Follow the cashiers when they check you out. Make sure they return the gift cards to you as soon as they activate the card. Another popular gift card scam? Armed with magnetic stripe readers, which often read numbers stored on a magnetic stripe on gift cards, thieves grab handfuls of gift cards from stores like Walmart or Target.

7 Common Types Of Gift Card Scams

A thief scans a gift card with a reader and stores dozens of card numbers. The scammer puts the gift cards back on the screen and walks away. The scammer then calls the customer service on those cards and enters the copied gift card numbers.

This tells the fraudster that someone has purchased and activated a gift card and how much money is left on the card. The scammer can then use the gift card number to make an online purchase and deplete the balance on the card you purchased.

Want to avoid this scam? Do not buy gift cards from the general display shelves of retail stores. You may want to buy gift cards from online auction sites. Don't do it. Scammers often sell deactivated gift cards on these sites. You pay for a card - thinking you're paying less because you're paying less than the face value of the card - only the gift card doesn't work.

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Other scammers lie about the value of gift cards they sell online. They can claim the gift card is worth $50. You pay for the card, approve it, and discover it only has $5 left on the balance. Avoiding this scam is simple: never buy a gift card from an online auction site.

7 Common Types Of Gift Card Scams

If you want to buy gift cards online, buy them directly from the retailer that offers them. You may receive a phone call, email, or text message from a lottery or contest scammer. This scam says you've won a trip, a new car or a cash prize.

To claim a prize, you must first purchase with a gift card or pay a claim fee. The scammer will ask you to buy a specific gift card, call you back and read the card number and PIN over the phone. This is definitely another scam.

No legitimate sweepstakes, sweepstakes or companies will charge you to claim your winnings. You will never win a prize from any sweepstakes or sweepstakes that you did not enter in the first place. You will be sure to pay your electricity bills on time every month.

But one day someone claiming to be your tool calls and says you owe money. If you do not pay immediately, the utility will cut off the electricity or water. The only way to pay is with a gift card that a utility company "representative" tells you to buy.

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