Garda issues warning about iTunes gift card scam

The Garda

has issued a warning about a new scam in which people are tricked into buying hundreds of euro worth of iTunes gift cards. It said the scam is mainly aimed at vulnerable older people; one person in Galway was tricked into spending €2,200 on vouchers.

Victims receive a bogus telephone call telling them they are in debt to a company or organisation they are a customer of. They are warned that immediate payment is needed – and in some cases that they face criminal charges. They are told to pay using iTunes gift cards bought from a shop. Once the cards are purchased, the victims are told to share the vouchers’ details over the phone. The scammers then spend the vouchers online.

The Garda said two people in Wicklow and Tipperary were conned into buying more than €1,000 worth of gift cards. One person in Dublin was also trying to purchase €1,000 worth of vouchers before a member of staff became suspicious.

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Gardaí have urged the public to be suspicious of any calls or voicemails from people claiming to represent a company or organisation they may be customers of. They also warned that the scammers may have some of their personal details. Gardaí said that no company will ever request payment via iTunes or any other online vouchers and that anyone who receives a call should contact them.