Tech Support Gift Card Scam Targets Orange County Senior Citizens

Mission Viejo CA

17 August, 2021

11:39 AM

Description

MISSION VIEJO, CA — Orange County Sheriff's Department deputies alerted the public that a rash of scams involving gift cards have struck the public. On Monday, Mission Viejo Police Services says that their deputies have taken multiple fraud reports with victims being asked to pay for services with gift cards. "The most common scam is getting a virus on your computer and the scammer pretending to be a computer tech to restore your data," a spokesperson for the Mission Viejo Police Services said over Facebook. Often, the elderly are at risk of falling for this particular scam, as suggested by one South Orange County resident. Though she declined to share her identity, she shared that her father-in-law was scammed in such a manner. "It was frightening," she told Patch. A person claiming to be tech support "scammed him" and wheedled their way into his account. "They claimed they had complete control of his computer and bank account," she said. A scammer "showed" him they had transferred money into his account, then said they made a mistake. They needed the money back, but Nordstrom gift cards would be a better way to be repaid. "The Nordstrom managers caught it," she said. "They were suspicious because they see this a lot." The Nordstrom manager at the Shops at Mission Viejo Mall began to ask why the man, 90, needed 20 gift cards of $500 each. The Nordstrom managers asked a bunch of questions and told them what they thought was happening to him." They suggested he call his family for support and file a police report. "He was so deep in by this point that he was unable to get out. That was when we got the call," she said. The incident was embarrassing to him, but it shouldn't be, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Department. If you have been scammed or suspect you are being scammed, the department suggests that you file a report as soon as possible. "Real tech support will never ask for payment using gift cards," the sheriff's department said. "Please do not provide personal information to an untrusted source, and trust your instincts."