Sheldon, Iowa — UPDATE: The Executive Vice President of a Sheldon bank has offered another resource regarding the use of gift cards and how they are often used in a scam.
The idea of gift cards for gifts is fine. Or if you don’t have a credit card and you want to shop online, there is also nothing wrong with buying a gift card for yourself for that or any other reason. The problems start when others that you don’t know ask you to buy them.
Heidi Brown of Citizen’s State Bank says the information she was given was presented in a recent seminar. She says the information says that if you’re buying a gift card to pay someone you should STOP and that it’s a scam. It says gift cards are for gifts, not for payments.
The Citizen’s State Bank resource says if someone on the phone is telling you to pay them with a gift card to pay an IRS debt, keep your Social Security benefits, keep your utilities on (like electricity, water, or heat), pay for tech support, pay for a family member in trouble, pay a member of the military needing money, pay bail or ransom, or avoid arrest or deportation — just hang up. It’s a scam.
The resource goes on to say that gift cards are for gifts, not for paying someone, and says you should report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the police, and the card issuer if a card was purchased.
Contact the card issuer:
Amazon (888) 280-4331
Ebay ebay.com/giftcardscams
Google Play google.com/support
iTunes (800) 275-2273
Steam help.steampowered.com
MoneyPak moneypak.com/security
*******************************************************
Original story posted Mar. 25 at 3:09 p.m.
Sheldon, Iowa — A scam that popped up in northwest Iowa last year has now reared its ugly head again in Sheldon.
According to Cindy Gries with the Sheldon United Methodist Church, someone is sending out text messages in Pastor Kevin Gingerich’s name asking for the recipient to purchase digital gift cards. It does not come from the pastor’s phone number, but is signed with his name and title. If you receive a message like this, Gries says they’d like you to contact the church office. She says DO NOT REPLY to this message or purchase anything because of this message.
In December 2019, the First Reformed and St. Patrick’s Catholic churches in Sheldon had a very similar thing happen. At that time, the Sheldon Police Department requested that if people get a text like this, to call the Sheldon Police Department. Scammers also targeted members of First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids last summer.
Authorities remind you that anytime you are asked to buy gift cards such as iTunes, GreenDot MoneyPak, or other prepaid cards, it’s likely a scam — whether the cards are ones you can hold in your hand or purchased online.
Authorities say if you buy gift cards and then give them to someone or give them the numbers on the cards, your money is gone, and it’s untraceable.
