It might sound odd that a conman claiming to be with the police department has been telling people in Kosciusko they could avoid arrest by paying a fine with gift cards. But the phone scam is nothing new. The Better Business Bureau of Mississippi says it’s a common way that crooks cheat people out of their money. The BBB’s John O’Hara says giving someone the code on the back of a gift card is like handing over cash.
“That’s because it’s untraceable,” says O’Hara. “They can spend (the card) any way they want to and it’s usually spent within seconds so the card is rendered useless.”
O’Hara says the scam’s other red flag that the public should be aware of is that legitimate law enforcement officers would never call someone telling them they’re about to be arrested.
