- More than $115,000 lost in gift card scams this year
- Spot checks reveal some retail stores not displaying warning signs
- Commissioner for Consumer Protection urges retailers to train staff
Western Australians are being warned about the resurgence of scams involving gift cards, particularly Apple iTunes cards.
So far this year, reports to the WA ScamNet team show 49 victims have lost $115,852 to gift card scams. This exceeds the total loss for 2023 of $68,900. There have also been 61 reports of gift card scam attempts.
One young victim lost $7,600 after receiving an email from who she thought was her boss requesting she purchase the Apple iTunes cards. The scammers followed up with WhatsApp messages, where the 18-year-old handed over the details of the cards.
In most cases the victims were not questioned at the point-of-sale when they purchased thousands-of-dollars' worth of gift cards.
"There has been a long-term agreement with retailers that they would display warnings about gift card scams and train their staff to quiz customers who are purchasing a large volume of gift cards," said Commissioner for Consumer Protection Trish Blake.
"Spot checks by my staff reveal these warnings have fallen by the wayside," she said.
Criminals also use the gift card scam by pretending to be a family member or a friend, business or a Government department. Once the serial numbers are handed over, the cards are quickly sold on secondary markets.
"If you are the victim of a gift card scam it is nearly impossible to get your money back," Ms Blake said.
"No business or Government department will ever ask for payment in the form of gift cards.
"If you receive an email from your boss or CEO asking you to purchase a large amount of gift cards, wait until you can confirm the request in person or speak to a trusted colleague.
"Lastly, if you work somewhere that sells iTunes gift cards and someone tries to buy thousands of dollars-worth in one transaction, talk to your manager or ask the customer to talk to Consumer Protection."
Report scams and scam attempts to WA ScamNet via the website
