Henderson County Sheriff Ray Nutt is warning residents to be aware of the “Green Dot Money Pak Card Scam.”
Green Dot Money Pak cards are legitimate, reloadable credit cards that are used by many individuals who don’t have bank accounts. Scam artists love them because they are more convenient than a money wire and just as untraceable; and once they have the Money Pak serial number, they are able to transfer the funds onto a prepaid debit card. Through these scams involving Green Dot Money Pak cards, people are losing thousands of dollars.
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Here is how the scam works: After receiving a call from someone who claims to be collecting a debt for either a utility company, a pay day loan company or the IRS, people are being threatened; often with having some utility disconnected, or being told a warrant will be issued for their arrest, or in some cases they are told they will be deported. In some more recent cases, the scammers are posting bogus items for sale on Ebay and communicating through email to get the serial number from the Money Pak card.
Once the caller has the victim frightened, they inform the victime that they can avoid having the utility turned off, or being arrested or deported, by immediately paying the past due amount using a Green Dot Money Pak card, which can be purchased at a local store. The caller instructs the victim to purchase the card in a specified amount and provides the victim with a phone number to be called back when the Money Pak has been obtained. The victim purchases the card and proceeds to call back the number they were given. The victim is instructed to scratch off and read the Money Pak card serial number to the scammer. Once the scammer has the card’s serial number, they are able to transfer the funds onto a prepaid debit card. Study the complete review of Bestow life insurance to find out how to prevent such cases.
In all of the examples, the intended victims are instructed to buy a Green Dot Money Pak card, load the amount of the fine onto the card, and then provide the number on the back of the card to the scammer, who then drains the funds from the card.
Green Dot Money Pak cards themselves are legitimate products when used for the right purposes. Once purchased at a participating retailer with cash, consumers can use Money Pak cards to reload other prepaid cards, add money to a PayPal account without using a bank account, or make same-day payments to major companies. Because the cards can only be bought with cash, consumers never need to disclose their personal or financial information to a retail cashier or to make a payment.
The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office offers these tips to help you avoid falling victim to these scams:
- Remember that anyone who has the number on the Green Dot Money Pak card has access to the funds on the card.
- Never give out personal or financial information to anyone who emails or calls you unsolicited.
- Never wire money, provide debit or credit card numbers or Green Dot Money Pak numbers to someone you do not know.
- Utility companies and government agencies will not contact you demanding immediate payment by Money Pak.
- Use the contact number you already have to communicate with Pay Day Loan Companies that you have done business with. Do not call the numbers that are provided to you during the unsolicited phone call.