New “Friend Favor” Scam Making the Rounds

The Better Business Bureau is warning of a new scam so slick BBB employees almost fell for it.

It’s called the Friend Favor scam and here’s how it works:

You get an email that appears to be from a friend or family member.

The message looks harmless and casual—like something a friend might really write.

For example, one version reads: “Hi, how are things going with you? Are you busy? I need a quick favor.” The message even ends with “Sent from my iPhone.”

Concerned about your friend, you reply and ask for more details.

The supposed “friend” quickly responds that they are trying to buy a gift card for their niece’s birthday.

However, they are traveling and having trouble purchasing the card online. “Could you get it from any local grocery store around you? I’ll pay you back as soon as I am back.”

The request sounds reasonable. But if you do buy the gift card, your “friend” will ask you to share the card’s PIN and/or send a photo of the back of the card.

Unfortunately, by doing this you are essentially handing money to the scammer and it’s nearly impossible to get the money back because gift cards do not have the same protections as credit or debit cards.

The obvious way to avoid this scam is to contact your actual friend directly and ask if it was really them sending you the text or email.

No matter how harmless the story sounds, always double-check before sending someone money.

If you’ve spotted a scam (whether or not you’ve lost money), report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker. And if you’ve been a victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement agency and report it. You can also report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov.