Gift card scam strikes area elderly residents
Groesbeck Police Department has received several reports recently of elderly residents being victimized by scammers.
The victims are being asked to buy gift cards and provide the numbers to the caller in order to avoid arrest, help a family member with an emergency, or receive a larger monetary gift.
“It’s not uncommon to have a victim who’s sent hundreds or thousands of dollars to scammers,” explained Police Chief Chris Henson. “That’s their hardearned money that they’ve lost because they feared arrest or thought they were helping a family member. That’s why it’s important for our community members to assist us by informing and educating their elderly friends and family about the type of scams that target them.”
While these scams are not exclusive to seniors, the majority of the cases involve our elderly population since the scammers feel they are less likely to report the scam or understand what is happening until it’s too late.
“In a lot of the cases, the victims feel some sense of embarrassment and are reluctant to come forward to let us know they’ve been victimized,” said Henson. “We encourage anyone who feels they’ve been a victim of this type of scam or any other scam to reach out to the police department because it’s never okay for someone to steal your money and that’s what’s happening.”
Please talk to your family members, regardless of age, and help them understand that any call that involves the purchase of a gift card is likely a scam.
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