Police have warned of a Walmart money scam targeting shoppers.
Citizens are urged to hang up if they receive a call from a man claiming to be a police officer telling them to purchase a Walmart debit card.
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On August 12, 2024, the Darke County Sheriff’s Office in Greenville, Ohio, announced that citizens had received calls from a scammer.
The agency warned citizens via Facebook about a male caller who claimed to be a member of the sheriff’s office.
The criminal told citizens that there was a warrant out for their arrest for failure to appear for jury duty and that he would arrest them if they did not purchase a debit card at Walmart.
“The caller gave his name as David Tanner and Jason Wheatly. This is fraud!” the department continued in the post.
“The Sheriff’s Office will never call you and ask you to get cash cards or gift cards to pay fines.
“Please be aware of the situation and do not give any personal information or money to these scammers.”
Facebook users shared their thoughts in the comments on the post, with many condemning the victims rather than the scammer.
“Even if I got a call, I would know it was a scam,” wrote one user.
“Wow. People are falling for this crap??” asked another.
“How stupid are people? It should be obvious that the police aren’t going to call you and say ‘hey, you have a warrant. If you could just take that information and hide, that would be great,'” commented a third.
“Some people are just so incredibly gullible… They should know better by now,” wrote a fourth.
Walmart’s website also has a scam alerts section that informs shoppers about various types of scams, including gift card scams.
It offers consumers numerous tips on how to avoid this type of scam, such as refraining from buying and selling on online marketplaces outside of Walmart.com or checking their account balances.
The retail giant also advises customers not to purchase gift cards if the packaging appears to be “altered or tampered with.”
Banking tips to avoid fraud
As scams become more sophisticated through the use of artificial intelligence, it is important that you know how to spot a scam:
- Be skeptical of online offers that seem too good to be true, especially on social media.
- Scammers often use tactics to panic you and get you to make quick decisions. Be cautious if you are asked to act immediately and check who has contacted you.
- Chase Bank warns its customers to “never repay unexpected amounts without calling Chase first.”
- Never send money to someone you have only spoken to online or on the phone, as it is likely a romance scam.
- Never give anyone remote access to your device unless you are 100% sure who you are talking to.
- Never accept help from strangers at an ATM and always be alert when withdrawing money.
- Do not send money or click on links that indicate you have won a prize.
Source: Chase.com
It also says that you should not click or respond to online advertisements or websites offering free gift cards.
Walmart scam
Walmart customers have been victims of other scams before.
In May 2024, shoppers were asked to verify their accounts after a thief was filmed installing a device to steal information.
Skimmers have been reported at several locations in upstate New York.
In June 2023, the retail chain faced backlash after being accused of allowing fraudsters access to its money transfer services to defraud shoppers of hundreds of millions of dollars.
According to an amended complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Walmart was allegedly aware that scammers were abusing cash-to-cash transfers to evade scams.
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