Local Retailer Warns People Not To Fall For Gift Card Scam

The manager of a Cedar Rapids Best Buy store is warning residents NOT to fall for scams involving gift cards. Yes, it turns out that scammers are finding new ways to bilk people out of their money and iTunes and Google gift cards are one of the new ones.

Jim Campbell told KCRG that they've noticed more people coming in and trying to purchase hundreds, even thousands of dollars worth of gift cards. He says it is an immediate red flag. Campbell said that many times it is people age 60 or older that have fallen for the scam.

The Federal Trade Commission says that iTunes and Google gift cards in 100 dollar amounts are among the most popular cards in scams because the high dollar amount makes it easier to spread around and more difficult to trace. They also say that legitimate companies and government agencies will never ask for payment in the form of gift cards.

Campbell says that he is requiring Best Buy employees to alert a manager if someone tries to buy a high dollar amount of gift cards.

[via KCRG]