A Sidney woman is warning others to be extremely wary of phone calls or emails from people who are threatening financial – or at least computer – ruin.
Sharolyn Moffat says she nearly fell prey to a scam this week, when she was contacted by someone claiming to represent TD bank. She was told that her iPad app had been compromised and in order to fix it, she would need to go out and purchase an iTunes gift card. The card, she said she was told, would be used to re-download the app.
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Moffat said she did g out and buy the iTunes gift card, when as she did, spoke to the store clerk and they suggested that what she was asked to do sounded suspicious — and that she should check with her bank.
So she did, telling a teller at TD that she’d been told there was a problem with her iPad and the bank’s app.
“That’s when they told me that this was a scam,” she said, adding she also called Apple about the alleged problem with the iPad. They too told her it was a scam.
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She said in this kind of scam, people get the gift cards and if they follow through with it, can unwittingly give out their personal or banking information — or at a minimum, give the scammers access to the value of the cards.
Thanks to interacting with both the store clerk and the bank teller, Moffat said she didn’t follow through with the alleged scam artist. Now, she is warning other people to be aware of the issue. She said if people are faced with similar calls or emails, and they have a nagging doubt about it, call their bank or service provider directly.
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Moffat also reported the incident to the local police, who she said suggested she should try to get the word out to people about the scam, as they are limited in what they’re able to do.
As for the $100 gift card, Moffat said she still has it and ma have just finished some of her Christmas shopping early.
