LITTLE
ROCK – For years, con artists have used wire transfers
as a mechanism for separating consumers from their
hard-earned money. Now, though, scammers are
increasingly using reloadable debit cards in their
schemes to extract funds.
Dozens of
Arkansans have lost money in the last few months after
sending account information from their prepaid debit
cards to con artists. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel
issued this consumer alert today to warn consumers to
use caution when being asked to send payments via the
cards, such as Green Dot MoneyPaks.
MoneyPaks
are easy choices for scammers because they do not need
the card itself to access the money loaded onto it.
Fraudsters simply ask consumers for the number listed on
the back of the card, then use that number to draw down
the account. The transactions are difficult to trace and
it is almost impossible for victims to get their money
back.
“Prepaid
debit cards work just like cash, so scammers see the
cards as an easy way to take money from an unsuspecting
victim,” McDaniel said. “Consumers should never acquire
a MoneyPak card because they have been told they won a
sweepstakes, and they should be very cautious when using
the cards to purchase merchandise from someone on the
Internet.”
MoneyPak
scams sometime involve promises of sweepstakes winnings,
if only the “winner” pay an advance fee by loading money
onto the card and providing account information to a
scammer. In another common scam, the con artist poses as
a friend or relative in a bind and in need of money
quickly. Other types of MoneyPak scams are tied to sales
of nonexistent merchandise on Internet classified and
auction websites. In some instances, consumers who have
responded to loan offers have been asked to pay advance
fees on MoneyPak cards, but they never receive loans.
Green Dot,
the company that issues MoneyPak cards, advises
consumers to protect the cards just as they would their
cash and their wallets. MoneyPak transactions, unlike
credit card transactions, cannot be reversed.
McDaniel
advised consumers to keep these tips in mind:
-
Never give
a MoneyPak number to an unknown individual.
-
Refuse any
offer that would require the purchase of a MoneyPak and
the sharing of the MoneyPak number or receipt
information with someone else, either by telephone or
email.
-
Do not
email a MoneyPak number directly to any merchant, and
beware of websites that specifically ask for payment via
MoneyPak.
-
Be wary of
using a MoneyPak card for any offer that requires
payment before an item is received.
For
more information about these types of scams, or for
other consumer tips and resources, visit the Attorney
General’s Consumer Protection Division website,
www.GotYourBackArkansas.org.
Also, the Consumer Protection Division can be reached by
phone, (800) 482-8982.
KDQN