LONGSWAMP TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WHTM)-- Pennsylvania State Police say a man fell victim to a gift card scam for a year, losing thousands of dollars.
State Police in Reading say they were investigating a theft by deception when an Alburtis man in his 70s reported a possible scam on July 1. Troopers say the man reported losing approximately $90,000 in Apple gift cards over the course of a year.
The victim told State Police he believed the gift cards were part of a federal grant investment fund.
AARP says con artists have "latched onto gift cards" as a way of receiving payment during a scam. They say approximately 13 million U.S. adults have purchased a gift card as part of a scam, and a 2022 AARP survey found that 1 in 3 adults said they or someone they know had been asked at some point to purchase a gift card to pay a bill, fee, debt, or to claim a prize.
AARP says signs to watch for include being asked to purchase more than one gift card, being asked to share the gift card numbers, and receiving a request from someone you do not know.
