The latest phone scam appearing in Roanoke Rapids is one in which the scammers promise the victim $11,000 in exchange for a $99 Walmart or other gift card.

The particular call to a Roanoke Rapids resident, who did fall for the scam, promised them a chance at winning $11,000 in which the check would be delivered to them in front of family, friends and even the local newspaper.

“Gift card scams are not new,” Captain Andy Jackson of the Roanoke Rapids Police Department said. “When times get tough this seems to be one of the popular scams.”

The trick to this scam, Jackson said, is to convince the victim to buy the card and then call back and give the scammers the code from the back of the card, which is usually obtained by scratching off a small panel.

That code stores the method in which the gift card was bought, including the debit or credit card used. The scammers use this code to buy items for themselves, Jackson said.

The call in Roanoke Rapids was from someone identifying themselves as being from the Cochrane Law Firm. “Don't go buy a card in return for $11,000,” the captain said. “It's not going to happen.”