Winneconne police alert residents to scam

WINNECONNE, WI—(WISS)— A Winneconne woman fell victim to a scam that cost her $1500. The Winneconne Police Department warns residents to be alert to scammers and schemes.

According to a release, the woman was contacted by someone claiming to be from her credit card company because they noticed what seemed like fraudulent activity. They convinced her to purchase Target gift cards. She then gave the scammers the access codes. Target could not refund her because the money had already been accessed.

Winneconne Police remind residents that your financial institution will never ask for gift cards or Bitcoin as a form of payment. Observe the following tips to stay safe and avoid being scammed:

1. Do not open any suspicious texts. Delete them.
2. If you get a call like this, never give your info to them. Hang up or don’t answer unknown phone numbers. Call your financial institution. They will enact security measures to protect your account(s).
3. Never open suspicious or unknown emails. Delete them.
4. No financial institution will ask you to purchase gift cards.
5. Monitor your accounts and report any suspicious activity to your financial institution(s).

Winneconne Police further warn that senior citizens are often prime targets for scammers. Contact your local police department if you have been a victim of this type of scam.