Have you heard about the gift card scam? As we all know, scammers have continued to find new and deceitful ways to defraud unsuspecting individuals into handing over their personal information or money. Typically, the only people that will ever tell you to buy a gift card and provide them with information from the card, is a scammer. However, it isn’t that simple. These fraudsters paint a convincing picture and will impersonate trusted community figures such as police officers, relatives and utility providers. Here are some ways a scammer will deceive you into purchasing a gift card to pay for things:

• Someone from a government organization, such as the IRS or Social Security Administration, claiming you owe money, or you will be arrested.
• An individual posing as a family member or close friend claiming they are in an emergency and need money sent immediately.
• Someone calling you saying that you have won a prize, often a large sum of money. However, the stipulation is that you have to pay a fee in order to claim your prize.
• An individual posing as a utility service representative and threatening to disconnect your service if you do not pay them.

Scams like these use scare tactics to pressure consumers into handing over information with minimal questioning, which is why they have become increasingly effective. Anytime you receive a call from a suspicious number always keep your guard up. If you are ever in doubt, make sure to hang up and reach out to a trusted number you have on file or call us at 1-833-372-4968. At First Savings Bank, we are always happy to provide information to our customers to make sure they do not become a victim to any scam.