Consumer complaint received 2020-12-22
Product: Credit card or prepaid card — Gift card
Issue: Problem with a purchase or transfer — Card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase or transfer
Company: Google Compare Credit Cards Inc. (AZ)

I received an XXXX/email that said it was from my boss ( had her name and wasn't reported as SPAM ) with her signature. The email sounded like my boss. My " boss '' asked if I was busy and if I could help her out by running to pick up some gift cards she needed for a client but couldn't get herself because she was trapped in a conference call, and if I could she'd reimburse me ASAP- I understand this sounds like an obvious scam, but in the events industry working for clients/events of all types, plus her technical computer shortcomings I regularly have to help her out with ... .none of this seemed like a red flag, espeically since the email seemed to be sent by her and she wrote in a way she typically does asking me to do something she has asked me to do before. My boss often asks me to run and pick up random things last minute - gift cards being one of them. I tried to just buy the gift cards online but ran into all these fraud issues for buying gift cards - Again, I know that should've been a red flag, but at the time it actually further reiterated to me why my boss asked me to go get some real cards because she is so computer illiterate I thought, " If I'm having problems buying cards online too no wonder why she gave up and asked me to run to the store while trapped in a conference call. '' I texted my boss if she needed any other cards or anything else while I was at the store but the message wasn't immediately delivered/seen - again, further reiterating to me she was stuck in a meeting unable to get to her phone. I purchased the gift cards. I had managed to purchase three gifts cards totalling {$100.00} each online at XXXX before that site, and all other gift card malls, blocked any further transactions ( again, this just reiterated to me why she needed me to go in person to get cards -because she must've also had this much trouble herself buying them and couldn't escape the meeting she was in to get the cards needed in time ). I went to XXXX ( local grocery store in XXXX, Arizona ) two times to purchase Google Play gift cards, ( first transaction = {$300.00}, second transaction = {$900.00} ). The total amount for all purchases, online and in store, was {$1200.00}. When I got home she ( aka the scammer posing as my boss ) instructed me to just send the redemption and activation codes. I did. Like I have in the past for various purchases for my boss. I was preparing my reimbursement invoice when I received another email asking for more gift cards because something come up. Again, she was writing like we she usually does with me. I was feeling kinda weird about it and brought it up to my husband, he told me to try calling or texting my boss again. It didn't go through at first. I messaged again saying I needed to talk to her asap and then tried to called her. She called back four minutes later and had no idea what I was talking about. I immediately tried all the card redemption numbers and they said they were all claimed. I immediately contacted my bank ( XXXX ) and Google Support - 2X. I filed a complaint with FTC. I filed a complaint with IC3. Google tells me my bank should refund me. My bank says Google has to refund me. Online searches tell me I am unlikely to get anything back - which these XXXX dollar businesses know this happens, see how far the fraudsters go to be believable ( Google did flag it as spam, actually marked the message as " important '' ). I am not a millionaire. I am just trying to get by in this crazy year, but now I'm out {$1200.00} for a scam I'd like to see how many other people would catch if they were in my position.