A Lincoln woman is urging others to be cautious after falling victim to a scam while trying to rent a car last week.
Connie Rader never expected to fall prey to a scam. She was searching online for the rental company “Enterprise” and found a link offering vehicle rentals for $25 a day.
“I clicked on the link, thinking it was Enterprise and everything would be fine. I thought I was going to get my car,” Rader explained.
However, the website was fraudulent, and Rader ended up in contact with a scammer.
“She was very professional. I didn’t see any red flags, but she did say, ‘I need you to go to Walgreens,’” Rader recounted.
The scammer instructed Rader to buy Apple and eBay gift cards to pay for the rental. After providing the gift card information, Rader was repeatedly told the cards weren’t working.
After several stops and multiple purchased gift cards, Rader realized she had been scammed out of more than $900. Her husband discovered the scam after checking their bank account and seeing the money missing.
The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office warns that scams where fraudulent websites appear at the top of search results are becoming more common.
To ensure a website is legitimate, look for specific indicators. “In the web address, the URL should start with ‘HTTPS’ for secure sites,” explained Ryan Sothan, Outreach Coordinator at the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office. “A closed padlock symbol in the address bar also ensures your data is encrypted.”
Sothan emphasized that no legitimate business accepts gift cards as a form of payment.
Rader hopes to prevent others from experiencing the same ordeal.
The Attorney General’s office advises anyone in a similar situation to immediately contact their bank and report the incident to the AG’s Consumer Protection Division.