Fairhaven police report gift card scam that targets the elderly

From the Fairhaven Police Department:

“It has been reported to our department that an elder has been scammed with the gift card scam. An unknown male made contact with the female and told her she needed to go to a local retailer and purchase large sum gift cards. She did so as many times as she was asked and gave them the gift card numbers on the cards she purchased. If you work in retail, have elders in your family, or anyone for that matter, please pass on that no one will offer to reimburse you over the phone using gift cards. No agency or utility company will call for payment over the phone.

If you get a call like this, call the police when in doubt. If someone comes into a store where you work looking to purchase large sum gift cards it is okay to call the police while they are there in order for us to talk to them. Often, the callers tell them to say it’s a gift and threaten them if they don’t follow directions.”