Who’s really calling you?
Imposter scams come in many varieties, but essentially work the same way: a scammer says they’re someone they’re not and they try to convince you to send them money. Recently, we’ve been hearing reports about scammers posing as representatives from major companies, where they notify the victim that they have accidentally been sent an excessive refund. Let’s take a closer look at this scam to ensure you can avoid falling victim.
How it works.
Scammers typically find their victims by simply cold calling phone numbers until there is a responsive victim. In addition to the scammer pretending to represent either a well-known large company or a smaller company offering a service of some kind, the scammer claims the victim owes the company money for an overpayment on a refund. The scammer then requests that the victim pay them the excess between the intended amount and the actual amount they were refunded in the form of a gift card. This usually results in the scammer using high-pressure tactics and threatening legal action if you do not pay.
However, any time someone asks you to pay with gift card, it’s a scam. If you pay with a gift card or wire money, the scammer will keep it. You will not get your money back and there is no paper trail leading back to the scammer so beware!
What can you do if you fall victim?
If you sent money to someone who contacted you, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Call the FTC at 1-877-382-4357 or go online.
The FTC uses complaints to build cases against scammers. Any information you can give helps investigators.
For more ways to stop scammers and identity thieves in their tracks, visit our Security Center.