November 7th, 2019 by WCBC Radio

The Oakland City Police Department has issued a warning about a rise in gift card scams and counterfeit currency in the area and advises residents to be wary of calls demanding payment in gift cards.  “In these types of scams the targeted victim, who is often an elderly person, receives a phone call demanding immediate payment for a delinquent account balance to be paid for with gift cards,” said Oakland Police Chief Bill Thomas.

The scams may includes corporate prepaid gift cards, iTunes cards, Green Dot cards and others. The caller then requests the account and pin information found on the gift card and proceeds with the fraudulent transaction.

The department is encouraging residents to try to get a call-back number and the name of any caller making these requests, then to contact a local law enforcement agency immediately to report the incident.

Victims of this type of scam, who have reported it to their local law enforcement agency, can also report the scam or any other type of financial fraud to the Federal Trade Commission via email at www.ftc.gov/complaint.

Additionally, police have indicated there has also been an increase in counterfeit bills found in the area. Keep an eye on any cash you receive and if you think a bill is suspicious you can take it to a local bank for inspection or contact your local law enforcement agency.