LABELLE, FL. -- Recently Hendry County residents have reported a postcard that states the recipient is eligible to receive $100 in gift savings only good at Wal-Mart or Target. These postcards are appearing in mailboxes around the county.
Sadly, this is the gift (card) that keeps on giving…right into the scammer’s pockets. Postcards are being dropped into the mailboxes of residents in Hendry County telling them they are trying to reach them with exciting news about an unclaimed reward.
They ask the recipient to call them at a toll free number to claim their gift card. The sender lists a claim number at the bottom of the card. Once you call the number listed, you are urged to provide a “Visa or MasterCard number to cover a processing fee of $6.95 for activation and shipping to your mailing address”.
This is a new twist on a familiar scam involving gift cards that used e-mail and text messaging in the past. Now it appears scammers are specifically targeting seniors who may not be familiar with texting and email communication.
“Be suspicious of any contest or sweepstakes that asks for an upfront fee,” said Hendry County Sheriff Steve Whidden. “Legitimate sweepstakes companies will not ask you to pay handling fees, taxes or other charges.” Winning is free; a gift is something given willingly to someone without payment.
Wal-Mart and Target have no connection with reward and gift savings sweepstakes and do not partner with agencies that encourage consumers to spend money on “sponsor offers” in the belief that they will eventually receive a high value gift card. However, after fulfilling the “sponsor offers” the consumer may never even receive the gift card.
This is a new twist on a familiar scam involving gift cards that used e-mail and text messaging in the past. Now it appears scammers are specifically targeting seniors who may not be familiar with texting and email communication.
“Be suspicious of any contest or sweepstakes that asks for an upfront fee,” said Hendry County Sheriff Steve Whidden. “Legitimate sweepstakes companies will not ask you to pay handling fees, taxes or other charges.” Winning is free; a gift is something given willingly to someone without payment.
Wal-Mart and Target have no connection with reward and gift savings sweepstakes and do not partner with agencies that encourage consumers to spend money on “sponsor offers” in the belief that they will eventually receive a high value gift card. However, after fulfilling the “sponsor offers” the consumer may never even receive the gift card.
Protect yourself:
· Do not provide personal information to claim “prizes” or sign up for “free trial”.
· Never give your credit card number, social security number or bank account information to pay for fees, taxes, or shipping costs for anything that you may have ‘won’ or are getting for ‘free’. A true sweepstakes will not make a winner pay fees.
· Check your bank statements and credit cards on a regular basis for unauthorized charges
· Contact local law enforcement and report any suspicious activity
· Do not provide personal information to claim “prizes” or sign up for “free trial”.
· Never give your credit card number, social security number or bank account information to pay for fees, taxes, or shipping costs for anything that you may have ‘won’ or are getting for ‘free’. A true sweepstakes will not make a winner pay fees.
· Check your bank statements and credit cards on a regular basis for unauthorized charges
· Contact local law enforcement and report any suspicious activity
I'm getting calls from a Nabraska #308-210-9052 asking for $6.95 fee to get free Walmart or Target gift card. This is the same scam!
ReplyDeleteI received the same card in Virginia yesterday, called, and they asked me for my DOB and credit card for $1.95. They claim to be "My Rewards in Tampa, FL, with telephone number 1-866-777-5140.! Who should I report this to? I told them if they are legitimate, they can mail me their promotional "club" offer to me, but I'm not giving them anything.
ReplyDeleteI got just one call this morning about 10am. Didn't pick up. Called back. Same thing - 100 Walmart or Target gift card in exchange for 6.95 fee and full name, address, email, brief survey (4-5 questions). I asked how did I win or how do they get my number - the answer was 'I don't know, I'm in the processing dept, I guess someone put your number'. Didn't even say where:)) I don't live in SWFlorida since June.
ReplyDeleteI just got a post card in the mail with a claim number and it said to call in bc I "won" a $100 gift card for Walmart or Target. So I called in just to see how good of a scam this was. He asked for my address and phone number and I asked him how I was on their mailing list. He said I must have shopped at one of the 2 stores in the past 6 months, which I sadly havent.Then they ask for a $4.95 "shipping" fee. Once I told him I had no bank account or credit cards he hung up. Haha.
ReplyDeleteTotally just got one if those cards in the mail today and was wondering if it was a scam or not. I asked the caller if it was legit or a scam, he said it was a legitimate thing. Then he said there was a processing fee of $4.95....that's when I hung up the phone. I've never even been to Florida so I'm wondering where they got my address from.
ReplyDeleteI got the post card today 7/10/14 phone #8555771793. I am taking it to the Post Office so charges can be filed thru the permit # 492
ReplyDeleteI received a yellow post card phone number 18667775444...called with claim number and they wanted a 4.95 shipping fee ...wouldnt give them account info assuming it was a scam..how do i help protect others from this scam?? Also the address it was sent from was 5337 north socrum road unit 145 lakeland fl 33809
ReplyDeleteIve gotten a few of these stupid postcards in Oregon.My Walmart told me to take this to my police.Wish this people were smart enough to put a return adress ,not just talk to some idiot on this phone line.Id like to see them all get in trouble for disturbing the peace of the seniors and disabled
ReplyDeleteElderly parents received a postcard, found out my dad called and gave them his cc#. When I called to find out what is was all about, they told me a one time activation fee of $7.00. They had my dad's name and address. When I told them to cancel, they insisted that I give them the cc# that was used. I refused and they hung up on me. Then I called back, they would not speak, but I could hear people talking in the background, then they hung up on me again. Would not give me even the name of the company. So will be going through the CC company to dispute this scam.
ReplyDeleteI got a yellow post card 8002081262 stating to call for your unclaimed gift worth over $1,000 from Jewelry Design Concepts, Melbourne, FL. also with a Gift #. When called they as for credit card information for shipping. What a scam, I hung up and want to warn others
ReplyDeleteI also called this number and actually believed the young man on the other end of the phone. He said the jewelry was only worth $50 but I would get $1000 free groceries. I paid $19.95 for jewelry valued at 50 cents and a piece of paper telling me where to get coupons.
DeleteI just received the same yellow card. They said there company was Jewelry Design Concepts. Call 800-920-6281.I had a gift of $1000.00 in grocery coupons and 2 pieces of jewelry. The man sad they would send the jewelry and a card with website to pick out the coupon savings of your choosing for your card. Could be grocery or other items such as detergents as well. Wanted 19.95 for S&H. Does anyone know if you go to this website do you actually receive a card to pick the 1000.00 in coupons to put on the card of your choosing? I could use 1000.00 of grocery ect. Is this a scam. The company assures me it isn't?
DeleteI,too received the same card and wanted me to pay $19.95 for shipping and I did with a Walmart prepaid card. They said I should recieve the Jewerly $1000 dollars card for groceries and other household items and told me to start shopping soon as I receive them. They got my mailing address also but when I pulled all this information up on line,I was concern that it was a scam. So I called them back at customer service and they assured me that it was not a scam and if I was not satisfied,they would return my money. I also checked the BBB and the same address appeared there just like it was on the card. The BBB had no complaints on them. The person at customer service said there are people using their information. Hope this helps! In the meantime,I am waiting to see if it is a scam or not.
DeleteI got the walmart/target card. I googled it before even thinking about calling the number. Found all the scam alerts then took it to the post office to alert them the scam is in Thonotosassa, FL.
ReplyDeleteMy grandma just got a card in the mail and was about to give out her card info until I took over the call. The person on the phone became very upset bc I started to question him about the business asking me to put my grandma back on the line. I informed him several times I would be taking over this call. I asked for the address of the business he just kept saying its in Phoenix AZ and I asked him for his name he said Jackie Mills I told him I know damn well your name isn't Jackie Mills and it sounds like you're in India. This was in Gainesville, FL
ReplyDeleteGot on in pa today, ligonier
ReplyDeleteSame yellow card promising me $1000 in jewelry. Googled the site. Cut jewelry but total scam! Thanks for the heads up. Sad thing- I'm all the way across the nation in WA state! Be careful folks. I'm not even going to call the 1-800-920-6281 number.
ReplyDeleteI live in Ohio and I recieved a yellow post card about i have over 1000 in prizes and i needed to call and claim my prize. The guy hung up on me when i started asking a lot if questions but he knew my information except my cc#. What should i do to report this scam?
ReplyDeleteFrom Utah, I ran into this scam by misdialing a phone number by one digit. Fortunately I was dialing my doctor and knew they would not be involved. Happened twice. Beware.
ReplyDeleteI live in htx I didn't receive anything by mail or calls, when I was calling a # given to me by Golds Gym to cancel my membership they some how tapped into my call I hung up and called back 3 times to that same number and still the same so I was trying to figure out if that was correct I gave them my name and address and email address but when they told me to pay 4.95 I said can't I just cancel my membership I don't want it nor need it and the guy kept insisting and started asking me what my problem was, i didnt give them my cc or ss long story short beware these people are tapping into phone calls! Can anyone tell my if I'm at risk by giving out some of my info
ReplyDeleteI got two of these cards on the same day,but awhile back I received on an I actually called not thinking they are crooks gave my cc information and was charged a $4.95 processing fee and I waited on the card and it never came,so I was like forget it,so yesterday which was on 9/11/2015 I received two post cards for $100 gift cards,an I called an it sounded like a foreign man,he sounded like he was reading from a script and he had very poor english,he got right to it an said he needed my cc number to process my gift cards,so I told him that i went thru that once before and never received my gift cards an the man got chocked up an didnt know what to say so he started reading from his script again and I just hung up on him.This is really sad that these people have to stup so low to obtain honest people money,I pray for people like this cause they may not know how ignorant they really are.But anyways I also pray for the people that have been scamed by them my God Bless U All.Peace.
ReplyDeleteyellow postcard from jewelry design concepts/Melbourne, FL-unclaimed $1,000 gift notification to say thankyou for ordering from them recently (I never did!). They wanted my cc # to charge me $19.95 ship/handling to send me a necklace and a voucher for $1,000 for groceries. Got rude when I wouldn't give them my cc #!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete****1-800-920-6281***** was the toll free number to call them.
This is the same thing that happeden to me this morning and i didnt realize it until i had sent in my information. Im not sure how everything is gonna go diwn but if i have a charge, do you think locking my card and changing it will help?
ReplyDeleteWe got a yellow post card today in Southern Maryland. It says final notice, $100 Wal-Mart gift card, call 1-888-351-0379 to claim the prize. I know its a scam but called to see what info they were trying to get. They said they need my credit card # my DOB and my address and $1.95 would be charged to my card for shipping fees. There was no company name or return address but the man on the phone had an Indian accent. Hopefully nobody will fall for this scam. Please do not give your credit card info to anyone that you do not know. So many elderly people live on a limited income and these are the ones most vulnerable to scams like these.
ReplyDelete