On XX/XX/XXXX I called XXXX XXXX Support Number about a minor issue with my XXXX and immediately called the first number that popped up. I did not even think to question if this was an official XXXX number or not. They sounded official. They told me that critical data was being transferred from my phone to a second computer, located in XXXX, and that I needed to buy an XXXX XXXX gift card for {$100.00}, for which they would immediately refund me the money, in order to properly restore my phone from being hacked. I followed suit and went to XXXX ( where they told me to go ) to buy an XXXX XXXX gift card for {$100.00}. When I read them the number, they said that they were having a minor problem and that their {$100.00} server was not working and that I needed to buy two {$50.00} gift cards, for which I would immediately be refunded the {$200.00}. I followed suit. Then, they proceeded to tell me that they went through but that the cards were expired that I needed to get more gift cards for the total amount that I had previously paid. Then, they proceeded to tell that all the cards at that XXXX located were " old '' cards and that I needed to go to another XXXX location. It made sense because this XXXX was very old. At this point I was transferred to the top billing specialist with XXXX. At the second XXXX, he told that XXXX XXXX gift cards were no longer working with their system, that this had never happened before, and that I needed to buy XXXX XXXX cards. Then, he told me that XXXX stores were not working with their system and that I needed to go to XXXX. Each time, he sounded official, convincing, and like what he was saying was believable. Also, each times the gift cards did not work, he said that he would compensate me for all of my time and money, which went from {$100.00}, to {$200.00}, to {$500.00}, to {$800.00}, because each time I bought more gift cards I had to buy the total amount of everything I had previously bought in order for it to work with their system and for my money to be refunded. In total, I spent {$1800.00} dollars with my XXXX XXXX through U.S. Bank and {$1200.00} dollars with my XXXX XXXX XXXX through XXXX XXXX. All were spent on {$50.00}, {$100.00}, or {$500.00} gift cards for XXXX XXXXXXXX or XXXX XXXX at two different XXXX and two different XXXX stores. I immediately called both XXXX stores and XXXX and they told me that I needed to contact XXXX XXXX and XXXX Play themselves, which I did. Because the gift cards were immediately used, they said they had no recourse for me. I then filed a police report and a report with the FTC, as well as the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

I didn't question the fact that they sounded like they were from a call center in XXXX, and of course asked them were they were located, which they said XXXX. He told me that he was in contact with the top XXXX official and that if he didn't get me my money back that he would lose his job, so he needed to make sure that that happened. 

I XXXX the two numbers they used to call me, and that I used to call them on XX/XX/2018 and they came up that they were fraudulent XXXX numbers. Someone had recently tried to sign into my XXXX account fraudulently, and I downloaded a virus onto my computer and had recently had someone hack into it, and was also talking to a call center in XXXX with XXXX about the situation ; thus I did not think anything of this. 

I am hoping that I will be granted Mercy, understanding that if these previous situations hadn't happened to me, I would not have been susceptible to this one. I am a struggling college student, getting my degree to be a XXXX XXXX XXXX.