An auntie asked for help to pay for digital cards at 7-Eleven. Is this a scam?

SINGAPORE: A local Reddit user crowdsourced for answers on the platform after an unusual encounter, wondering if it involved a scam.

In a post on the r/askSingapore subreddit on Tuesday (Jan  14), the post author wrote that they were just passing by the 7-Eleven in their neighbourhood, when an “auntie,” a woman middle-aged or older, approached them asking for help.

The auntie said she needed the post author to use their credit card to pay for the digital cash cards sold at 7-Eleven, which she would pay back in cash. The woman also said that the store did not allow payments in cash for these types of cards, adding that the cashier was unable to help her.

“Is this a real call for help or some sort of scam I’m unaware of?” asked the post author.

Many commenters on the post told the post author that the auntie is probably a scam victim herself, and explained how.

“100% auntie is being scammed,” a Reddit user wrote bluntly.

“Aunty is a scam victim. Advise her accordingly to go to the police,” urged another.

“The next time you see the auntie, tell her she is being scammed. Ask her who is asking her to buy these cards,” added a third.

“Sounds like a scam or money laundering with the auntie as the money mule and you nearly became involved in the scheme,” a commenter observed.

Another explained the suspected scam this way: “The aunty was probably told by a scammer to buy the cards and send over the redemption codes. They’ll then use the cards that the aunty paid for.”

To this, a commenter answered, “Or sell them online. That’s why one must be careful when buying codes online for lower prices.”

“The general sob story is that the scammer needs some money, but they have no bank account. So they ask you to buy such cards, resell the codes and pocket the money,” another wrote.

Others added some helpful explanations, including a Reddit user who wrote, “These scams are extremely well known. My guess is that 7-Eleven has a policy of requiring a card transaction so that the victim can be traced. But what circumstances someone might wish to trace the victim is less obvious to me.”

“7-Eleven doesn’t accept cash for such items because of AML. If not, people go pay with dirty money, resell the codes, and become clean money. Easy Peasy,” added another. /TISG

Read also: ‘I now run seven 7-Eleven stores in Singapore’ — 30 y/o man shares how he started his first 7-E store with just $20K of his own savings