Most stores do limit the amount of gift cards you can buy

I don't know how anyone falls for it, but it just happened to a family friend. A very wealthy family friend.

I don't have all the details, not sure if it was over email or phone, but someone convinced her there was something bad on her computer and they would remove it for a fee. This somehow turned into them getting access to her checking account and draining the entire account that had "more than my wife or I could imagine having in a checking account". She was also locked out of her brokerage account and the the Female Body Inspectors are involved. Yikes.

So just a reminder, for the older folks in your life and folks who might be tempted to buy really nice ceramic cookware for the low price of $20. Be on the alerts.

You would think a bank would contact the account owner if they suddenly attempted to transfer monies over a certain limit - especially to a strange account (assuming non US).

oh_its_JimmyHEYHEY®

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After my wife's aunt got scammed, it's been on my to-do list to put together

Nov 13, 2025, 10:20 AM

a guide for the family on how to spot and stop scams. I'll post it here once I get it together.

Though, on r/scams, they did have a good post that goes a long way: https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/comments/w1zd49/is_it_a_scam_quick_reference_guide/

On average if it involves any combination of the following, it's a scam.

Urgency.

Crypto.

Free money.

Logging in to something.

You sending something to someone you'd never want the entire internet to see.

A picture of a random attractive person.

Anything that sounds too good to be true.

Zelle, CashApp, PayPal, checks, or bank accounts.

Special fees, "courier", "business accounts", marketplace "dealerships".

The word "kindly".

Someone trying to gain your trust to do something you already know is wrong.

Sending a code to help someone unlock "their" account.

Buying gift cards and sending someone the code.

If someone is trying to convince you it's "legit" or "not a scam".

Clicking on a random link or scanning a random QR code.

A random person or person you haven't spoken to in years contacting you about an "opportunity".

Purchasing equipment for a "job", specially from a check.

Taking money to pay a "contractor" or other third party out of a payment you are to receive.

You should avoid clicking links in messenger, text, or emails and go directly to the business' website. You will not be asked to verify your identity or be asked to provide an MFA code to anyone for any legit reason.

Likewise, you should avoid giving sensitive information to strangers.

Do not accept or pay for rental property/houses/cars unseen.

When dealing with marketplace buying or selling you should ONLY do cash, in person, in a well lit place (possibly a police station).

This is also what people should be looking for in trying to verify emails. If something looks suspicious of you're not sure, never rely on the name that shows up first in the inbox. This is called the "friendly from" and it's as easy to forge as typing it out in your sending platform. The two things you need to check are the sending domain (what comes after the "@") and the authentication. In gmail, you just go to email options menu and then to "view original." Then, check for these things: