Gift Card Scam Bilks Man Out of $2,500 in Stafford: Police

STAFFORD, VA — When shopping online, be certain to verify the website's validity, particularly when the second or third party on sites such as Craiglist and eBay mentions gift cards as payment.

This, from the Stafford County Sheriff's Office, and it pertains to the following incident that duped a man late last week.

On Thursday, a man told police he suspected he'd been victimized by a Craigslist fraud that him inquiring about a 1994 Ford Bronco selling for $1,500. He responded to the poster, who replied with an email appearing to be from eBay (buyer@ebaypurchaser.com).

He was told to buy $1,500 worth of Target gift cards and send the card information. He did.

He then was told because of the size of the buy, he needed to buy another $1,000 gift card for insurance reasons but that the money would be refunded after the Bronco was safely delivered.

The victim thought the Bronco was being purchased through eBay and would be covered by its buyer-protection rules and regulations.

He thought wrong.

Once all the gift-card information was sent, communication stopped, eBay told the man it wasn't a valid eBay transaction, Target said gift cards are like cash so no refund, and the man suddenly found himself out $2,500.

Advice from the Stafford County Sheriff's office:

• Gift cards are not a form of currency that established businesses use for payment.
• Fraudulent email addresses, websites and URL's are designed to look exactly like the brands customers trust.

Also: scambusters.org has more advice.

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