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BBB warning of scams involving gift cards, delivery of holiday gifts

By Katie Schubert

Omaha, NE – The Better Business Bureau says two scams are targeting holiday shoppers.

One scam involves gift cards. BBB of Nebraska, South Dakota and southwest Iowa CEO Jim Hegarty says scammers are sending text messages with a phone number to call to receive a gift card. But Hegarty says there's no gift card involved. "When you call these numbers, the only way you can get the 50 dollar gift card is by pressing 1, and when you do that you are automatically signed up for a reoccurring charge of at least ten dollars a month on your cell phone bill."

Hegarty says scam artists are also sending emails, claiming to be from the U.S. Postal Service, UPS, or another delivery service. In the email, scammers claim there's a delay in delivering a holiday package, and more information is available by clicking on the included link. But the link will download malware or a virus on to your computer.

If you believe you've received one of these scam messages, or you want to verify that an email you received is real, you can contact the BBB at nebraska.bbb.org.