If a friend asks for a favor, you do it, no questions asked. Right?
It’s ime to rethink that policy. In anew con, a scammer poses as a friend asking for a simple favor. The email is so convincing that the Better Business Bureau staff almost fell for it.
An email arrives which appears to be from a friend or family member. The message looks harmless and casual. It may say something a friend might really write. For example, one version reads: “Hi, how are things going with you? Are you busy? I need a quick favor.” The message even ends with “Sent from my iPhone.”
Concerned, you reply and ask for more details. The “friend” quickly responds that they are trying to buy a gift card for their niece’s birthday. However, they are traveling and having trouble purchasing the card online. “Could you get it from any local grocery store around you?” the message reads. “I’ll pay you back as soon as I am back.”
The request sounds reasonable. But if you do buy the gift card, your “friend” will ask you share the card’s PIN and/or send a photo of the back of the card. By doing this you are essentially handing money to a scammer. It’s nearly impossible to get the money back because gift cards do not have the same protections as credit or debit cards.
The BBB offers tips to avoid this scam:
• Reach out to your friend directly. If you…
