Evansville Police Warn of ‘Green Dot Scam’

The pre-paid credit cards are at the center of a current scam involving a fake sweepstakes.

The Evansville Police Department released a statement on their Facebook page early Thursday morning saying they had received several reports of tri-state residents being targeted by the con artists.

According to the EPD, the most common cards are the Green Dot pre-paid Visa and Mastercards. These cards can be found at many department stores in the area and work by pre-loading them with funds, then using them as you would any debit or credit card.

The scam involves a caller telling you that you have won a sweepstakes, with the claim being that in order for you to get your prize, you must first purchase one of the pre-paid cards. Once you "buy" the card, they tell you what amount to "load" onto the card, followed by asking you for the numbers on the card to confirm your eligibilty. Once the numbers are given, they transfer the balance on the card into their own account. Your money is gone and you do not win any prizes.

The EPD Facebook page reminds everyone, "You should NEVER pay money to get money or prizes. You should NEVER conduct any financial transactions of any kind to claim a prize you have "already won". That is the big red flag warning you that you are the target of a scam."