Ace Security Desk—Have you received a robocall about a phone, TV, or internet service discount? Scammers pretend to be businesses and make robocalls about “discounted services” if you pay with a gift card. It’s a scam. Here’s how the scam works so you can avoid it.

You get an unexpected robocall from someone who says they’re with a company like AT&T, Spectrum, or Comcast Xfinity. They say there’s a 40-50% discount available if you act now. They might say the discount is for future bills, service bundles, or even products like a new Apple Watch — but then they say you have to buy a gift card and pay them up front by giving them the gift card numbers to secure the offer. That’s a scam.They might also ask you to confirm your account information to apply the discount, but if you do, they could use that info to hack into your account.

To avoid a scam like this:

• Take your time. Scammers pressure you to act fast. They don’t want you to have time to think about what they’re saying. Take your time to be sure you understand the offer.
• Check it out. To confirm the offer is real, reach out to the company that’s supposedly offering the promotion. But use a phone number or website you know is right — not the number in the robocall message.
• Know how scammers tell you to pay. Gift cards are for gifts, not for payments. Only scammers will tell you to pay with gift cards.

Already paid or gave your information to a scammer? Read What To Do if You Were Scammed to find out what to do next. And tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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