GAYLORD (WWJ) – Michigan State Police are reminding Michiganders to beware of scammers trying to get payments in gift cards after an elderly man refused to take their advice.
MSP officials in Northern Michigan say “scams can take many different forms,” and people are often victimized and they don’t realize they’re being preyed upon until it’s too late.
That was evident when an off-duty trooper was recently in a store in Gaylord and the elderly man came in, trying to buy $2,500 worth of Sephora gift cards.
He told the cashier he had been instructed to send the beauty store’s gift card numbers to someone he met through Facebook Marketplace so he could buy a horse from them.
The trooper, cashier and business manager all realized it was a scam and tried to talk him out of buying the gift cards, but he refused to listen to them.
The man became furious and stormed out after the manager told him they would not sell him gift cards.
MSP officials say there’s no way of knowing whether he went somewhere else to purchase the gift cards because “he was sure this was a legitimate online purchase.”
MSP did not specify the store where the incident unfolded. The elderly man's age was not disclosed.
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“We are grateful there are businesses and cashiers working in stores that try to stop customers from being victimized,” MSP said in a press release. “No matter how uncomfortable the conversation may be, it is a conversation worth having.”
To avoid becoming a victim:
• Do not give personal information to unknown callers.
• Do not respond to unsolicited e-mails from unknown senders.
• Confirm the identity of a contact by independently speaking with the identified source (your bank, credit card company, government agency, etc.).
• Do not make payments using gift cards.
• Be immediately suspicious if the caller pressures you or has a sense of urgency for you to act.
• Use a reliable source, such as the phone book, to confirm the contact’s phone number or e-mail.
• Report any suspicious contacts to police.
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