Crime & Safety
Algonquin Police Warn Residents Of Gift Card Scam
Police said they've received reports of scams involving a caller asking citizens to purchase gift cards from stores to repay fake debt.
ALGONQUIN, IL — The Algonquin Police Department is warning residents of a gift card scam to be on the lookout for.
Police said they've recently received multiple reports involving a caller who has been asking residents to purchase gift cards from various stories to repay fake debts.
Some citizens reported calls coming from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or utility companies; however, police said don't fall for it.
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"APD wants to remind you that no valid or legitimate company or organization will ever request gift cards as a form of payment over the phone," the police department stressed.
In addition to the gift card scam, police are reminding people to be careful when selling items online. Police said they highly discourage accepting payments above the requesting price with a request to send money back to the buyer.
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"This has proven to be a scam many times," police warned.
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