12/13/2021- 8:54 a.m.
Americans Lose $148mn In Gift Card Scams in 2021
The Federal Trade Commission has reported that around 40k Americans were scammed by fake gift card schemes in the first 9 months this year for a total of $148mn, more than the entire sum in 2020.
Gift card fraud has risen in each of the last three years, with scammers apparently moving on from Google Play, Apple, eBay and Walmart to focus on Target gift cards.
Most scams reportedly begin with a call from someone posing as a US govt branch threatening to freeze bank accounts unless gift cards are bought.
