FBI Washington Field Office Warns Consumers About Gift Card Scams

The FBI's Washington Field Office is warning consumers about the threat of online gift card fraud that typically occurs after the Holiday Season. This video explains a specific type of gift card fraud scam and what consumers can watch out for. If you believe you’re a victim of a gift card scam, report it to ic3.gov.


Video Transcript

Special Agent Jamie: Fraudsters use many schemes to scam people out of their hard-earned money.  One of those scams is through the purchase of gift cards. If someone asks you to purchase gift cards and then provide the redemption codes to them, it is likely a scam. The fraudsters use those funds to purchase goods and services, which may or may not be legitimate and you will likely never get reimbursed for those gift cards. This type of scam can be combined with additional requests for wire transfer payments and can be part of other complex fraud schemes.  Sometimes the criminals even claim to be law enforcement officials demanding payment or gift cards. Law enforcement will never demand or ask for payment. If you have fallen victim to a scam, please report it to the FBI at ic3.gov. This information will help investigate these criminals.

 

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