Neighbour Almost Scammed, Now Has Unwanted Google Play Cards

schwinn on 25/06/2021 - 16:19
Last edited 26/06/2021 - 18:17 by 1 other user

Hi All,

My elderly neighbour was almost taken in by one of those phone call scams today, they managed to convince her to buy some google play cards, they asked for $2K worth, but thank God she only bought $200. Either way, she managed to contact me in time to tell her not to take any further action, however she now has $200 worth of cards which I have googled to find are not refundable.

Does she have any recourse in getting a refund for the gift cards?

Small side discussion - what do scammers do with Google Play/iTunes gift cards anyway?

Financial Gift Card Google

Comments

  • GG57 on 25/06/2021 - 16:22
    +2

    Technically, if she spent $200 on something she doesn't want or need, she has been scammed but the scammers haven't been the winners.
    I image the scammers sell them.

    • DarthAntz on 25/06/2021 - 16:48
      +3

      Google is the scammer

  • pangwen on 25/06/2021 - 16:24
    +3

    Huh, didn't know the ATO started accepting Google Play cards as well as iTunes, the Apple fees must have been killing them! /s

    Does she have any recourse in getting a refund for the gift cards?

    Highly unlikely, that's why the supermarkets have the giant signs warning you about gift cards and scams. Perhaps you can sell them (for a discount) on Ozb classifieds?

    small side discussion - what do scammers do with google play/itunes giftcards anyway?

    Sell them?

    • kerfuffle on 25/06/2021 - 18:51

      Huh, didn't know the ATO started accepting Google Play cards

      I know you're joking, but even Google Play cards have a scam warning on them. I'm looking at one now which says in bright red font

      Only use this gift card's code on Google Play. Any other request for the code may be a scam. Visit play.google.com/giftcardscam

      • schwinn on 25/06/2021 - 19:29
        +1

        She was old and had a lot of things going on that clouded her judgment. She told me she felt very afraid, I am guessing that the scammers said some things that regularly wouldn't have given 2 turds about, but affected her a lot, enough for her to be so afraid to tell the cashier that it wasn't a scam when the cashier checked. She was trembling when she called me.

  • spackbace on 25/06/2021 - 16:28
    +2

    what do scammers do with google play/itunes giftcards anyway?

    Sell them for bitcoin

    • pegaxs on 25/06/2021 - 17:08

      Dont know why the neg, but this is basically what they do.

      The other things is when people buy those cheap Windows licenses, cheap Xbox/PS cards, iTunes/Google store cards and buy them off those dodgy websites or through Reddit and other such places, there is a really high chance that you are buying scammed gift cards.

    • schwinn on 25/06/2021 - 19:30

      So they hold the codes and serial number and wait until someone chooses to buy them dodgily on the internet instead of a one of the easily available online/b&m retailers? I was thinking more down them having their own app to do IAP's.

      • spackbace on 25/06/2021 - 19:49

        There's a few vids on it. They simply go to online marketplaces which put buyer to seller. There'd be a bunch of people prepared to buy discounted gift cards for Bitcoin. Once converted, the scammers have untraceable cash and the scammed person can't use the gift card

  • bobbified on 25/06/2021 - 16:36
    +1

    Well, right now it's better to have $200 in gift cards than not have $200 in gift cards, had she provided the numbers to the scammers.

    Instead of looking at the negatives, look at the positives and it's a cheap lesson for her compared to the potential $2000 loss.

  • steven6 on 25/06/2021 - 16:45
    +2

    what do scammers do with google play/itunes giftcards anyway?

    Scammers have their own apps. They do In App Purchases and get about 70% back in cash while Google take about a 30% cut.

    • popsiee on 25/06/2021 - 19:33

      Lol you won't make a Scammer giving away that cut !

  • Nugs on 25/06/2021 - 16:54
    +2

    Expiry? sounds like maybe she has done early birthday and/or Christmas shopping done?
    .

  • AndyC1 on 25/06/2021 - 17:34

    Check with the her kids or nephews to see if any of them want to buy it for say $180 as they can then use it on their phone.

    • schwinn on 25/06/2021 - 19:27

      Good point, although probably not. She doesn't have kids, and her social circle are tremendously tech unsavvy.

      • AndyC1 on 25/06/2021 - 20:22

        How about your kids then?

        • schwinn on 25/06/2021 - 20:55

          I don’t have android devices, and barely spend anything even in iTunes.

  • djones145 on 25/06/2021 - 18:43
    -4

    omg I just was about to buy some Google cards
    send it to me and I'll pay u 300 bucks for it

    I'm stuck on a oil rig off sydney, and in lockdown, can't go to a bank to pay

    I promise to pay after lockdown/stay at home/not lockdown, staycation is over ( could be a few months ) I promise

    blame glady I can't pay now
    send pleaaaadsseese

  • INeverPayFullPrice on 25/06/2021 - 18:47

    Humm Scammers got her credit card Details seems like that’s the catch there

    • DashCam AKA Rolts on 27/06/2021 - 12:32

      I don't think she purchased the Google Play cards from the scammer… so how would they have her credit card details?
      The whole situations sounds like a cold call scam, and they've found a victim who was taken in by the scam story and initiated a retail purchase of the cards.
      The victim was lucky that someone intervened before the cards' details were passed to the scum scammers.

  • SnoozeAndLose on 25/06/2021 - 19:30

    help her to sell it here for a 10% - 15% discount to cut the loss, $30 is not a bad lesson learn.

    • schwinn on 25/06/2021 - 19:31

      Thanks, I'm thinking that this is what I'll do. Do Google play cards get discounted frequently like iTunes?

  • USER DC on 27/03/2023 - 05:00
    -1

    You should be happy, and so should the neighbor be for not loosing the rest of $1800 LoL.

    You could sell Google play gift card on different marketplaces.
    BTW
    are they multiple smaller amounts ? or a single $200 GC ?

    ALSO
    You WONT be able to get REFUNDED for the GIFT CARDS you purchased

    • spackbace on 27/03/2023 - 15:49

      2yo post…

  • schwinn on 29/03/2023 - 00:22

    Here's an update anyway, she had a very fierce cousin who took the cards back to the shop, gave the manager a big lecture about selling cards to a granny and managed to force a refund. Who says it doesn't pay to make a scene.

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