Cheyenne Police Warn of Scams Involving Gift Cards, Prepaid Cards

Cheyenne police are warning residents not to fall for scams involving gift cards and prepaid cards.

Officer David Inman says the scams are "a big enough problem" that the department decided to print up scam warnings and pass them out at businesses.

The flyers read:

Do You:
• Have a loved one hurt or in trouble out of the country?
• Need to pay a Tax or Fee to claim your prize?
• Have a warrant for your arrest and need to pay a fine?
• Need to pay a fine for missed Jury Duty?
• Owe money to the IRS?

STOP! This is a SCAM!

FACTS:
• CALL your loved one who’s hurt or in trouble NOW to verify the information. Talk to them or someone who knows where they are.
• It is ILLEGAL to require money upfront to claim a prize.
• Government agencies DON’T accept pre-paid cards as payment, ONLY cash or check.
• Have a Warrant? Police will just arrest you, NOT demand money.
• Verify! Find the agency’s phone number on your own, call and ask BEFORE sending money.

"Hopefully it helps people think twice when they're at the gift card stand," said Inman.

"It's very hard to catch these guys because they're from overseas and that requires cooperation with other countries," Inman added. "Our best bet is to make people aware and try to combat it that way."

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