“They said if I purchased a $500 Greendot Moneypak card and gave them the authorization number, then I would receive a $2,000 loan,” Collins said.
After purchasing the money card, which can be used to transfer money and pay bills, Collins said the funds were withdrawn from the card and she did not receive a loan.
Her ordeal did not end there.
“I looked up Greendot Moneypak customer service online and found a number. I called and they said to purchase another $500 Moneypak card and then I would recieve a full refund in the mail. So, I got another card. The money on the card is gone and I did not get a refund,” Collins said.
This newspaper made calls to the number Collins found. It is associated with a website called moneypakbalance.com. A man who said his name was “Roger Smith” said he was with Moneypak customer service and then hung up when asked about Collins’ situation. During subsequent calls to the same number, the man and a woman who answered, changed their stories, saying they were a computer repair service, and finally a flower shop.
“Moneypakbalance.com is not affiliated with Greendot Moneypak. It is not a legitimate website. Our team will work to shut it down,” said Greendot’s spokesperson Brian Ruby.
Greendot also is doing away with the Moneypak cards at the beginning of the year, in part because scammers keep finding ways to use them to get people’s money, Ruby added.
“It’s just liars and it makes me feel down. I just want other people to know about it,” Collins said.
She has filed a complaint with the Ohio Attorney General’s office, and hopes to get her money back.
To report suspicious calls or suspected scams contact the Ohio Attorney Generals office at 800-282-0515.
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