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David N. Kirkman
Task Force Alert Chair
Asst Attorney General
Consumer Protection
NC Department of
Justice
P.O. Box 629
Raleigh, NC 27602
919-716-6000

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North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services
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TO NC SENIOR CONSUMER FRAUD TASK FORCE MEMBERS

******Alert #274******

Senior Fraud Alert: Buying Gift Cards to Enter a Sweepstakes Contest or Collect a Prize? Something Isn't Right

Roanoke Rapids (NC) police are warning citizens of a sweepstakes scam in which callers invite people to enter their contest simply by purchasing a $99 gift card for themselves. The callers tell their intended victims they can purchase the cards from whatever store or business they like. If a call recipient does this, he or she is asked during a subsequent call to recite the numbers on the back of the gift card in order to enter the sweepstakes. The callers then use these numbers to charge on-line purchases to the victim’s newly purchased gift card.

More information on the scam is available from the Roanoke Rapids Herald website.

Gift cards and Green Dot cards are growing in importance to overseas sweepstakes and lottery scammers as they try and obtain money from US victims. Anyone who requires that you purchase a gift card in order to enter a sweepstakes -- or to pay taxes and fees on a sweepstakes prize -- is probably trying to defraud you.


******End of Alert******

Date: July 1, 2011

David N. Kirkman
Task Force Alerts Chair
Assistant Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
Office of Attorney General Roy Cooper
114 West Edenton Street
9001 Mail Processing Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-9001
Tel. 919-716-6000
Fax 919-716-6050

 

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NC Senior Consumer
Fraud Task Force

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