Consumer tip: Government impostor gift card scams

Anyone who asks you to pay a governmental entity with a gift card is a scammer.

If you get a call from someone who says that they are from a governmental entity like the IRS or your local sheriff’s department and that you can avoid arrest by paying a fine or fee with a gift card, that is a government impostor scam.

Scammers often will give a short time window within which to buy a gift card and say that a law enforcement officer will show up to your home or work if you fail to do so.

Once you purchase the gift card, the scammer asks for the gift card numbers and PIN over the phone, at which time the scammer drains the value of the gift card, and that balance, like cash, is gone. Remember, gift cards are for gifts, not for payment.

More information at marincountyda.org or call 415-473-6495