GatewayRedbirds.com

I got an email yesterday from a friend I’ve had for years asking me to buy her a e-card gift card from Amazon for a friend of hers who was celebrating her birthday. I checked the email it came from and it was my friend’s email. So I bought the card and sent it to the email she requested. I then got a second email saying that her friend needed more money so I sent another one. This morning I got a third request so I checked the email and it wasn’t my friend’s email. I called my friend and she said she had been hacked. So I deleted the third email and called my bank. They said they would take care of it. I locked my card. I feel like a fool.

These scammers are so predatory, Mary. Don't beat yourself up!! Unfortunately, they trick thousands of people every day.

I had a good friend who got a call from the "sheriff" saying there was a warrant for her arrest and she needed to come down to the station to take care of it. It was extremely convincing. This friend is a biomedical researcher and no dummy. They knew her name, address, etc and spoofed their phone number to appear as if it was coming from the County. They used a name that was googleable as a real officer.

It was only wen they told her to go to Dollar General to purchase money orders that she started having doubts and managed to get off the phone to do more research, and find that it's a common scam.

So don't feel bad, Mary. Even one of the associates in my law firm once bought and sent gift cards when he got an email allegedly from one of the firm's partners asking for them.

My money was refunded and I expect my new credit card to come soon. I suppose the bank has insurance for this sort of thing.