Diwali gift card scam costs Bengaluru techie Rs 4.35 lakh: How to stay safe

As Diwali approaches, it's common for families, friends, and even employers to exchange gifts as a gesture of goodwill. However, this festive spirit also creates an opportunity for scammers to strike. Among the many fraudulent schemes, gift card scams have become increasingly common.

 

Just days before Diwali, a Bengaluru-based techie fell victim to an 'Apple Gift Voucher' scam, losing Rs 4.35 lakh. The scam began on October 13 when someone impersonating his boss in the UK asked him to buy Apple gift vouchers for an important client.

 

The message appeared urgent. "I am currently in a meeting and need you to buy gift cards for our clients," read the message sent via WhatsApp. Keen to impress as a new recruit, the techie immediately followed the instructions and purchased the vouchers worth Rs 4.35 lakh.

 

It wasn’t until he mentioned the gift card purchase to his HR team that he realised something was wrong. The request hadn’t come from his real boss, and by then, the scammer had already disappeared with the voucher codes. He promptly reported the case to Bellandur Cyber Crime branch and filed an FIR the following day. Authorities are now investigating the matter and have urged people to be cautious of similar scams.

 

Gift card scams on the rise

 

Gift card scams are increasingly becoming a popular method for fraudsters. The convenience of buying and sharing gift cards, coupled with the difficulty in tracking transactions, makes them a go-to tool for criminals. These scams often involve impersonation, where fraudsters pose as bosses, friends, or utility service providers to trick people into making purchases.

 

The Delhi Cyber Crime Branch explains that scammers commonly create a sense of urgency, asking victims to buy cards from popular payment apps like Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Paytm, or PhonePe. Once the cards are bought, the scammers ask for the codes and vanish without a trace.

 

What is gift card fraud?

 

Gift card fraud involves scammers asking people to make payments using gift cards, often through phishing or impersonation tactics. The scam typically follows a pattern:

< Scammers contact victims via phone, email, or text.

< They create urgency by fabricating emergencies or claiming the need for immediate assistance.

< Victims are asked to purchase gift cards from well-known brands.

Scammers demand the gift card codes to be shared over text or email.

 

Once the codes are provided, recovering the money becomes almost impossible.

 

How to avoid falling victim

 

To protect yourself from falling prey to gift card scams, Delhi police suggest the following:

1. Verify the sender: If you receive an email or message asking for money or assistance, always double-check the sender’s identity. A slight alteration in the email address or phone number could signal fraud.

2. Be cautious of urgency: If someone is pushing you to act quickly, it’s a red flag. Fraudsters often create pressure to prevent you from thinking clearly.

3. Contact directly: If the sender claims to be indisposed, such as being in a meeting or out of town, don’t trust their story without verifying it directly via a known phone number or email address.

 

Reporting a scam

 

< If you believe you’ve been targeted by a scam, you can report it through:

the cybercrime reporting portal.

< Contacting Amazon’s 24x7 customer service for Amazon-related scams at 180012001637.

< Reporting gift card scams to the respective brands where the cards were purchased.

 

Common types of gift card scams

 

Boss scams: Scammers impersonate your boss and ask for gift cards, claiming it’s for company purposes like employee incentives or client gifts.

 

Bill payment scams: Callers impersonating utility service providers claim to offer promotional deals if you pay upfront with gift cards.

 

Family emergency scams: Scammers pose as law enforcement or hospital staff and claim a family member is in distress, asking for immediate financial help via gift cards.

 

Lottery scams: Scammers lure victims with promises of multiplying money or winning a lottery, requiring enrolment fees to be paid through gift cards.

 

Fake customer service calls: Fraudsters impersonating Amazon or other companies claim your account is frozen and ask you to unfreeze it by purchasing gift cards.