The police warn of a growing form of digital scams, where victims are tricked into purchasing Google Play cards, Apple cards or other vouchers. Scammers mainly target the elderly and use all kinds of excuses to gain trust. With posters in bookstores and kiosks, the police in our province are now asking for help from retailers to prevent this fraud.
The fraudsters often pose as someone they know, a loved one or even an employer. They send messages to their victims via social media or WhatsApp claiming that vouchers and gift vouchers are urgently needed – for example for a sick child or a staff party.
Posters
Posters ask retailers to pay extra attention when customers order high amounts of gift vouchers.
Pressured
Because the criminals in question ask their victims to buy those vouchers and scratch open the codes and share them with them. “But as soon as that happens, the money is gone,” says local police officer Karian Bastiaan. She sees it happening more and more often. “Scammers put pressure on people,” she says. “And that is very sad to see.”
“The fraudsters sometimes even threaten that they will come by or put private photos online if they don’t do it. But beware: no agency ever asks you to buy gift cards or share codes.”
‘Tip of the iceberg’
According to the police, several people in the province have already fallen victim to this trick, but that is probably just the tip of the iceberg. Many victims are ashamed and do not report crimes, making it difficult to identify the perpetrators.
The police urge everyone to remain alert and always verify suspicious messages. Anyone who has fallen victim to this form of scam is urgently requested to contact the police and report it.