Cooper Township, PA – A Clearfield County man lost $4,000 to a gift card scam in which he was told that the US government was going to arrest him if he didn’t pay,
The 65-year-old man from Lanse, PA, was contacted by an unknown suspect on April 21.
They told him there was a warrant for his arrest and he would need to pay the US government to avoid being arrested,
The man was instructed to purchase $4,000 worth of Apple and Nike gift cards, which he did. He then gave the scam artist the gift cards serial numbers and security codes as he was asked, giving them the use of the cards.
When the man reported this to State Police in Clearfield, he was told there was no warrant for his arrest and that it had been a scam.
Although they attempted to contact Nike and Apple to stop the use of the cards, it was unsuccessful and that man was unable to get his $4,000 back. This is often the case with these kind of scams.
If someone threatens that you need to pay for something specifically in gift cards, be suspicious. Scam artists often ask for gift cards because they are difficult to track or return the money.
No reputable company, and especially not the US government, will ever ask you to pay for a bill specifically in gift cards.
Click Here to read the online police report. (You’ll need to scroll down to page 22 to see this specific report.)
