REGIONAL- ‘Tis the season to be jolly, unless you’re the victim of an increasing number of scams during the holiday season.
The Minnesota Department of Commerce issued multiple scam alerts this past week targeting state residents, with gift card scams topping the list.
Gift cards have become popular stocking stuffers and presents, allowing receivers to choose their own desired items from specific vendors. But with monetary value, cards have become targets of exploitation for scurrilous scammers.
Contacts are made by phone, email, text messages, and social media from scammers who pose as a legitimate business, government agency, or nonprofit organization. They may also impersonate friends or acquaintances to gain trust. A scammer may claim that they’re owed money on an account, or that they may urgently need a gift card for business purchases. After people purchase gift cards as directed by the scammer, they’re told to provide the card numbers and PINs to resolve any alleged issue.
A new wrinkle to phone gift card scams and other phone scams is the use of artificial intelligence to make a voice clone of someone a person knows. Using a cloned AI voice increases the likelihood that a target may believe they’re talking to someone they know who can be trusted.
The Department of Commerce emphasizes that no legitimate business, government agency, or person will ever ask you to make payments or send money using gift cards.
For routine purchases of gift cards, buyers should always inspect the card for any signs of tampering. If something appears unusual, contact the customer support number on the back of the card.
Utility company scams
As the weather gets colder, utility scams become an increasing threat. If a caller says they’re from your gas or electric company and threatens to immediately shut off your service, it’s probably a scam. You should:
Hang up and call the utility company phone number on their website or your utility bill. Don’t call back the person who called you. Those call-back numbers are fake.
Never pay with gift cards, cryptocurrency or wired money. Your utility company won’t ask you to pay that way.
If you’re behind on your utility bills, ask your utility company for help: Ask for a payment plan and apply for the Energy Assistance Program.