GreenDot MoneyPak Scam

Apparently, scammers like convenience just like the rest of us. The Attorney General of North Dakota recently warned consumers about a scam which involves the use of Green Dot Money Paks. The scammers must like the convenience of loading and transfering funds that Green Dot MoneyPaks provide.
According to the AG, here’s how the scam works:

[t]he scam artists tell victims they have won a large amount of money or are eligible for a grant, but in order to claim their money they must pay an upfront fee. The victim is instructed to go to a store that sells the Green Dot MoneyPak and purchase the card for a specified amount. When they have purchased the Green Dot card they are instructed to call a particular number or the con artist makes arrangements to call them back at a specified time.

During the next contact, the scammer asks for the card code. Within seconds, all the money the victim loaded on the card is stripped off the card. “Since reloadable prepaid cards like the Green Dot MoneyPak are purchased with cash, the payments are untraceable and the card company will not refund the money,” said the AG.

The North Dakota authorities have heard of at least one situation where a victim lost over $17,000 as a result of this scam.

Read more about the North Dakota news release here.

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