YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown Police Department is warning the public about a recent surge in gift card scams.

Capt. Jason Simon said for decades, there have been countless varieties of scams meant to persuade individuals to give up some of their money because they either “won a lottery,” “came into inheritance,” “have a grandson who needs bail,” or innumerable other takes on the same con.

Typically, Simon states in a news release, these frauds either play to a person’s desire to obtain easy money, or plug on their heart strings in order to further their criminal activity. In the past, money-wiring businesses (such as Western Union) were the preferred vessel for the thieves to request money be sent.

Then, in more recent years, Simon said requests for the digital transfer of funds or the purchasing of gift cards became the process of choice for criminals.

“Most recently, the scams have taken a new twist in which the criminals are posing as either members of a person’s family or of someone they work with,” Simon said.

The criminal will request the would-be-victim go to a location, purchase gift cards from some company such as a chain grocery or retail store, and then provide them the number and PIN code on the card. These are often in the amounts of thousands or tens of thousands of dollars and, once the criminal gets that information, the funds are immediately spent and tracing the purchases is a daunting, if not impossible, task.

Therefore, regardless of where you live, Simon states his department would like to inform the public that if it is “too good to be true” then it probably is.

“If you receive a call from someone asking for gift cards, realize that it is likely a swindle,” Simon said.

These calls often come from phone numbers not associated with the individual they are claiming to be.

“We urge everyone to use good common sense when answering phone numbers they are unfamiliar with / not listed in their contacts and to not click on links or open emails from senders they do not know,” Simon said.

Simon said those with questions or have information about a perpetrator, should contact police at 330-742-8240.