(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -Gift cards are convenient, and you don’t have to worry about the size. However, they are a perfect fit for scammers.
According to a BBB study, payment by gift card is a common thread among many scams, including government impersonators, business email compromise frauds, tech support frauds, romance scams, fake check scams, prize, and sweepstakes scams.
If you’re asked to make payment via gift card for whatever reason, you almost certainly are dealing with a scam.
Gift cards don’t carry the same protections as credit or debit cards, so funds spent on gift cards are funds you cannot get back.
There are red flags that signal a scam. Government agencies do not demand payment by gift card.
When challenged, the scammer will claim that paying by gift card is the safest choice.
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