Mother Goes Missing in Gift Card Payment Scam
Scammers convince Judy she needs to send $15k in gift cards to avoid arrest
AARP
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When Judy gets a call from a man claiming to be a police officer, she thinks it’s a scam. He says a car registered to her was found out of state with drugs inside. Before Judy can hang up, the man discloses the Social Security number used to purchase the vehicle. Judy is shocked to hear her full Social Security number. Convinced he’s telling the truth, she follows the man’s instructions. To clear up this matter, he tells her, she needs to send $15,000, all in gift cards. She needs to leave her house immediately, speak to no one about the matter and — under no circumstances — not hang up the phone. Speechless and panic-stricken, Judy leaves the house. Although her husband is concerned, Judy follows the officer’s instructions and refuses to tell him what is going on. Unfortunately, her first instinct was correct, because the alleged police officer is in fact a con artist. When, hours later, Judy has not returned, her family band together to find her.
The Perfect ScamSM is a project of the AARP Fraud Watch Network, which equips consumers like you with the knowledge to give you power over scams.
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