STOP: Gift Card Scam
Don’t be the victim of a gift card scam! Ocean Pines police brought some literature to us that will be displayed at the Mail Pavilion (see attachment and link for more information).
https://oceanpines.org/web/pages/news_content?announcementId=421&backURL=/web/pages/opa-news
Things that a scammer may do to you:
- They may call you claiming to be a family member in trouble
- They may ask you to purchase large sums of gift cards
- They claim to be with the IRS
- They may pressure you to buy gift cards to pay your taxes
REMEMBER:
- Gift cards cannot be used to pay for legal fees or bail
- Gift cards cannot be used to pay taxes OR to fix computer viruses
- Do not share card numbers or PINS with anyone
- Do not get scammed! Report any of the above to local authorities
A few residents have already been contacted by scammers asking them to purchase a gift card online because they were unable to and were very convincing. The email looks very similar to the real person’s email. PROTECT YOURSELVES!