BBB: Gift card payment scams on the rise

TYLER — Consumer fraud involving gift cards is on the rise according to the Better Business Bureau and the trend has accelerated during COVID lockdowns. Losses reported to the BBB’s Scam Tracker nearly tripled between 2017 and 2020. According to the BBB, scammers extract money from victims by convincing them to purchase a gift card from a well-known retailer like Target, Wal-Mart or Amazon in order to make immediate payment to avoid arrest for unpaid taxes or the termination of electric utility service. Once a card is purchased, the scammer tells the victims to read the numbers from the back of the card. Scammers then steal the value loaded on the card. Read more here.