Prepaid Credit Card Scam Hits San Angelo

A scam involving Green Dot prepaid credit cards has hit San Angelo, the police department warns, and although the scammers are believed to be overseas, they're putting up a strong front that their offer is local. 

In this particular Green Dot Scam, the scammer told the potential victim they won a car during a recent contest.  Although the potential victim’s caller ID displayed a local area code, law enforcement officials believe the scammer called from overseas.  Caller ID Spoofing is a common practice amongst scammers.  The technology allows them to falsify the telephone number and/or name relayed as the Caller ID information to disguise their identity.

In this scenario, the scammer instructed the potential victim to purchase a prepaid Green Dot MoneyPak Card and send the activation numbers to the scammer, who was posing as a contest official. 

This potential victim recognized this to be a scam, but other residents have not been so lucky.  Scammers are known to target the elderly and sometimes the “deal-contest- prize-opportunity” sounds too good to pass up.  Nevertheless, if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.  Please share this alert and help us spread the word.

What is a Green Dot MoneyPak Card?

A MoneyPak/Green Dot Card works like most pre-paid cards.  Consumers can pre and re-load them, transfer them, or use them to make purchases. 

These types of scams can be from a phone call, an e-mail, or regular mail so beware and be scam-smart.  

Common Green Dot Money Pak Scams

Lotteries or sweepstakes- Scammer will tell you that you won a large amount of money, or a big item such as a car but in order for you to get your car or money, you need to pay taxes or fees first.

Bill Collector- Scammer will tell you that you owe a large amount of money to a company and if you don’t pay, they will call the police or other authorities.

Arrest Warrants- Scammer will tell you that you owe money for a court fine or traffic citation and if you don’t pay, they will issue a warrant for your arrest.

Don’t fall victim to Green Dot Scams because once you give away the activation code, your money will most likely never be recovered. 

If you believe you may be a victim of Green Dot MoneyPak fraud, contact your local police and submit a MoneyPak dispute at http://bit.ly/MoneyPakDispute