AARP Eye Center
Scammers have come up with yet another way to get people to part with their hard-earned money. This time they are getting people to buy iTunes gift cards and share the code on the back of the card.
How it works:
A scammer will call, claiming to be from the IRS and that you will be arrested if you don’t pay back taxes immediately. The caller will tell you to purchase an iTunes gift card and put the amount you owe on it. Then you are to call back and provide the 16-digit code that is on the card to complete your payment. The con artist then sells the codes on the online black market and pockets the cash.
What you should know:
- The IRS only accepts checks, cash and credit cards as forms of payment.
- Apple sells iTunes gift cards solely for purchases on the iTunes store and the app store. If you are not shopping on the iTunes or app stores, you should not be using an iTunes gift card.
What you should do:
- Never agree to pay anyone besides Apple with an iTunes gift card.
If you are targeted with a scam like this, report it to the Federal Trade Commissio n.
Want to learn more about online safety? Watch interactive videos on how to protect yourself from unsafe public Wi-Fi, make online passwords secure and learn about phishing.
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Photo credit: alexskopje