Scam alert: Police Scotland warn of gift card con

Police have issued a warning to the public after receiving complaints of a gift card scam.
Police Scotland has warned of a gift carm scam. Picture: JPIPolice Scotland has warned of a gift carm scam. Picture: JPI
Police Scotland has warned of a gift carm scam. Picture: JPI
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The latest scam requires the victim to go and purchase a large number of Amazon vouchers. After the cards have been purchased, the victim is asked to pay the 'outstanding debt' by sharing the 16-digit code on the back of the card with the caller over the phone.

Several reports have been made to officers in Dundee, after staff at a local Morrison's supermarket noticed someone attempting to buy hundreds of pounds worth of these cards.

Police Scotland has warned of a gift carm scam. Picture: JPIPolice Scotland has warned of a gift carm scam. Picture: JPI
Police Scotland has warned of a gift carm scam. Picture: JPI
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Scammers contact victims, usually elderly or vulnerable people, by telephone and ask them to make payments over the phone for various things. In this latest instance, it is claiming that they are due to receive a large sum of money through PPI or something similar, but first they need to make a payment to the provider.

Police Scotland said: "No reputable firm or organisation would never make such a request, and any call of this nature is a scam

"Please do not ever provide the numbers on the back of the card to someone you do not know.

"Once those numbers are provided to the scammers, the funds on the card will likely be spent before you are able to contact the relevant company and cancel the cards."