- Rental car scam leaves Ohio woman scammed out of $600 after falling behind on payments.
- Fake phone number found online connects victim to scammer demanding Walmart gift cards.
- Fraudster convinces victim to buy two gift cards, tricking her out of hundreds of dollars.
In yet another reminder that the internet can be a minefield of deceit, a woman from Brook Park, Ohio, claims she was scammed out of several hundred dollars by someone posing as a Hertz representative. The fraudster convinced her to purchase Walmart gift cards to resolve her rental car issue, only for her to discover she wasn’t speaking to a Hertz employee at all.
Read: Hertz Asking EV Renters To Buy Their Cars
The incident occurred towards the end of 2024 and was reported on December 17. According to the unnamed woman, she was renting a car from Hertz but fell behind on the payments. In response, the rental car giant shut off the car remotely. The victim’s troubles started when she reached out to Hertz, attempting to resolve the situation.
Fake Number, Real Consequences
According to local media outlet Cleveland, the woman attempted to call Hertz customer support but unknowingly dialed a fake number she found online. The person on the line told her that her rental car bill could be settled if she purchased a Walmart gift card for the exact amount of $312. She bought a $320 gift card and called back, only to be told that it couldn’t be accepted because it wasn’t precisely $312.
After making another trip to Walmart, the renter purchased a second gift card – this time for $312 – and called back. She provided the card number to the operator and was told the initial $320 would be refunded when the rental car was returned. Just like that, the fraudster had hustled over $600 from the woman, and when she called back later, the line had been disconnected, and her rental car was not reactivated.
While many would have been suspicious the moment an alleged Hertz representative requested a Walmart gift card to settle a bill, there are plenty of people who wouldn’t have realized they were about to be scammed. In an age where false information proliferates the internet, it’s becoming increasingly easy to be fooled by what you read online, which, in this case, included a fake phone number.
Local police advised her to report the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), but as is often the case with scams involving gift cards, recovering the money is difficult.
Staying Ahead of Scammers
This incident highlights the importance of staying vigilant when dealing with payment requests. As a rule of thumb, no legitimate company will ever ask you to settle a bill with gift cards—especially not a large corporation like Hertz. Gift cards are untraceable, making them a preferred tool for scammers.
More: Hertz In A Hole After EV Gamble, Will Sell 30,000 EVs By Year’s End
To avoid falling victim to similar schemes, always verify phone numbers through official websites or other trusted sources. If anything seems suspicious, such as an unusual payment method, take a step back and question it before proceeding.
