Ocean City PD warning residents and businesses of donation scams

OCEAN CITY, Md. – Ocean City Police are warning residents and businesses about a phishing scheme that is using email to solicit donations.

According to police, the email appears to come from a person in a management position within a private organization, asking the recipient to purchase gift cards and give the individual the information on the gift cards.

The email addresses the recipient by name and gives specific directions, such as to open and scratch the cards and take a picture of the back of each card, attach and send to various charity and email addresses. In some of the emails it gives a reason why you are taking photos of the gift cards, while in other emails it tells you the exact amount and type of gift card to purchase. The sending email address appears to be the actual email of the person they are claiming to be.

If you think an email is a scam, do not reply back to the email. Instead, contact the person in a different manner or in a new email to eliminate the phishing scam. If an email or phone call sounds suspicious, do not exchange money or personal information with them.