Ada County Sheriff’s Office detectives have recently received several reports of ‘grant scams’, which are being used to extort money from victims using gift cards. Detectives have had some similarities between cases:
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The victim used Facebook and was contacted by a Facebook “friend”. The friend mentions a $100,000 grant. These friend accounts are typically duplicated or hacked, making it appear as if the direct message is coming from their actual Facebook friend.
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The Facebook friend directs the victim to contact someone else (scammer/suspect) about the grant.
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The scammer tells the victim to pay a tax or shipping fee on the grant money. This fee is to be paid via gift card.
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The scammer then tells the victim the truck delivering the grant money was stopped, and now the IRS is involved.
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The scammer asks for additional gift cards throughout the scam.
In many cases, victims are unable to recover their lost funds.
When it comes to spotting a potential scam, here are several red flags to watch out for:
- If they ask for payment in the form of gift cards or prepaid debit cards – it’s probably a scam.
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If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If there is a promise of a large cash payout, an all expenses paid trip, or a surprisingly dirt cheap deal, it may be a scam.
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If they become pushy, encourage you to send money or gift cards quickly, threaten to have you thrown in jail or issue a warrant for your arrest for not complying with their demands, it may be a scam. Many scammers will hone in on someone’s fear, which may cause someone to make irrational decisions, such as a sending a large sum of money.
- If they ask you to stay on the phone for long periods of time — especially while making withdrawals at the bank or purchasing cards — it’s a scam.
Not sure if it’s a scam? Contact non-emergency dispatch at 208-377-6790. If you want to learn more about current scams, check out the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker.