Visa gift card scam thwarted after concerned citizen overhears victim's call at Waterford Township CVS

WATERFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - A person called police after they overheard what appeared to be a man being scammed at CVS in Waterford Township.

According to police, the caller overheard a 65-year-old man "trying to buy a thousand dollars in gift cards, and it looks like he’s being scammed" on Feb. 1. The caller provided officers with a description and license plate number.

When officers arrived to the store at 4300 Dixie Highway, they saw the man parked in his car talking on the phone. He said he was talking to Norton Security and was instructed to buy gift cards for a subscription renewal after getting an email that his payment information was compromised.

The scammer claiming to be from Norton told the man that he needed to buy $750 worth of Visa gift cards and send photos of the activated cards. If asked why he was buying the cards, the scammer told him to say they were gifts for his son. Officers tried to speak to the scammer but were unsuccessful.

The officers were able to work with Visa customer service and the CVS clerks to cancel the cards.

Police are reminding people to be vigilant to prevent becoming a victim of a scam. Don't respond to unsolicited emails, do not provide personal information to callers, and report suspicious activity.