The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department says a 71-year-old Malcolm woman was conned out of $21,000 during a two-month long gift card scam. Chief Deputy Ben Houchin says the woman was contacted on Facebook Messenger by someone she thought was a high school friend.
“And says she can get $150,000, but she’s gonna have to pay the taxes and she got gift cards over 107 times .” Houchin says the woman took pictures and sent them to the person that she does not know over Messenger.
Houchin says the scam began in mid-September. “Finally, she talked to her son, who ended up telling her call law-enforcement.” Houchin stresses that legitimate businesses will have people buy gift cards or bit coin.
“Businesses even asked her why she was doing this and she said the gift cards were for herself so she lied to them,” Houchin says. “They tried to help her keep from getting scammed, but it still happened.”
Like other fraud cases they have investigated, Houchin says they are not able to get the money back.