GOOGLE has warned users over a Play Store gift card scam and the signs you’ve fallen for it.
The tech giant has revealed some red alert situations but admits there are multiple types of these scams out there.
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Google says on its website: “Someone might be trying to scam you if they ask you to buy a Google Play gift card and share the code so that you can pay for something outside Google Play.”
In a “How to know if you’re being scammed” section, two examples are provided.
The first explains how a scammer may pretend to be from a government agency like the IRS.
They may tell you that you owe money and ask you to pay in gift cards.
This is a big sign of a scam.
Google explains: “The scammer says that you owe money for taxes, bail money, debt collection and more.
“They tell you that to avoid arrest, or to prevent the seizure of physical items or your personal identification information (like your SSN in the US.
“Other countries use different names), you have to pay them with gift cards.”
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The other example Google gives involves a classic family-related fraud message.
A criminal will pretend to be a family member or someone representing a loved one and ask for money to get them out of trouble.
Google says: “The scammer tells you that they need to be paid in gift cards in order to remedy the situation.
“They may deter you from attempts to contact the family member to verify the claim.
“Don’t believe them. Never buy gift cards for them or provide them with any gift card codes.”
If you have fallen for any of this criminal activity you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission.
You can also report a gift card scam to Google.
The tech giant says reporting it can help protect you from similar fraud in the future.
