Rochester woman falls prey to phone, gift card scam
Photo illustration: scam / MGN
(ABC 6 News) – A 76-year-old Rochester woman sent $1,400 in gift card codes to a phone scammer, according to Rochester police.
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Police say the woman received a call from a stranger who told her she had won $9,000, but needed to pay a small fee to receive the money.
The man then instructed her to buy a $200 gift card and send him the redemption code.
The man then asked the woman to buy and send six more codes, for a total loss of $1,400.
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The woman called the man back after two weeks passed without her receiving the “prize money,” and realized she had been scammed after the man continually hung up on her.
She reported the scam to police Friday, Sept. 16.