The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA) is warning consumers to be on the lookout for scammers asking for payment via iTunes cards.
Since January, SCDCA has received five reports of scams artists requesting iTunes cards as a part of their scheme, totaling $12,280 in losses. This payment method was most commonly requested in the grandparent scam; a con that has elderly consumers giving money to a fraudster posing as a grandchild, usually to help them with medical bills or legal troubles.
Other scam types involving this payment request include a grant scam, where a consumer thought they could pay to receive a grant from the government and an IRS scam that had another consumer convinced they owed back taxes. Follow the tips below to avoid losing money to as scam:
- Be suspicious of payment requests. Consumers should be suspicious when cold callers ask for any payment, particularly by iTunes card or prepaid debit cards.
- Hang up and follow up! If you receive a suspicious call, the best defense is to hang up, and follow up with a reliable source that can verify the validity of the request.
For more information on scams, to view SCDCA’s brochure Ditch the Pitch and to report a scam, visit www.consumer.sc.gov and click the Scams button under Helpful Links.
