The Youngstown Police Department is alerting Valley residents to be aware of a scam involving gift cards.

Scammers, posing as a family member or a co-worker, will ask individuals to purchase gift cards from retail stores and then digitally transfer the funds off the gift cards. The perpetrator will ask the victim to provide them with the number and PIN code on the card. Often, the amounts requested can be in thousands of dollars and, once the criminal gets that information from the cards, the funds are immediately spent.

According to the police department, tracing of the purchases is a daunting, if not impossible, task.

YPD would like to remind Valley residents if they receive a call from someone asking for gift cards, realize that it is more than likely someone looking to steal their money. The phone calls often come from numbers not associated with the individual they are claiming to be.

We urge everyone to use good common sense when answering phone numbers they are unfamiliar with/not listed in their contacts and to not click on links or open emails from senders they do not know.

If you are the victim of a scam, contact your local police department immediately if you have information on who may be perpetrating these crimes.