Remember the days when weather was the go-to 'small talk' choice for people? Now, it seems everyone is always talking about the spam calls or texts they receive. That's because scammers continue to come up with new ways to try and rip you off.

New York State Police are now warning the public about the latest scam involving gift cards. It may seem obvious to some, but State Police officials are reminding people if someone reaches out them via phone, e-mail or social media asking for money on a gift card then it's likely a scam.

State Police say they have received a number of complaints regarding people requesting money on gift cards with various reasons for needing the money. Officials say, "They often ask you to take a picture of the card showing the gift card number and ask for the PIN (if there’s one associated with the card).  Once the scammer gets the money off the card, it’s gone and often without a trace."

Some of the scammers sound very convincing posing as small business owners, religious leaders or even as IRS agents looking to collect. State Police say if you or someone you know paid another person with a gift card, call the card company and let them know the card was used in a scam. Police say there may be a chance the money hasn’t been taken yet. You can report scams to the Federal Trade Comission at ftc.gov/complaint. If you believe you were the victim of this gift card scam, you are encouraged to contact your local law enforcement agency.

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