Southside Daily has collaborated with AARP to raise awareness about scams people need to watch out for.
A scam will be featured every Wednesday, so be sure to always check wydaily.com and be in the know.
Here’s this week’s scam:
You see them in just about every store you shop in: colorful kiosks filled with gift cards. Gift cards for everything from coffee, to movies to video games.
What you don’t realize is those colorful cards can also be the “currency of fraud.”
Gift cards are one of the top ways today’s scammers steal money from their victims, according to the AARP.
They convince their targets to buy gift cards and share the numbers and security codes. Once shared, the scammer drains the value of the card and disappears. Keep this in mind: if someone asks you to pay for something by gift card, it’s a scam.
Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network by clicking here or call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360 to report a scam or get help if you’ve fallen victim.