The ‘Secret Sister Gift Exchange’ Scam Could Make a Comeback in Texas

We're a couple of weeks out from Thanksgiving with our family in Texas or beyond. Which means that we'll be celebrating Christmas before we know it. We'll shop online and in stores to find the perfect gift for our loved ones and friends to open Christmas morning. We'll also see some scammers in our social media feeds tugging at our heart strings wanting nothing more than to steal from us. One such scam is called the "Secret Sister Gift Exchange."

Secret Sister Gift Exchange Scam

I'm well aware that your friend group may have a secret sister gift exchange. I'm not talking about that. You know each other and trust each other and are not giving your information to a complete stranger online. I'm talking about a scammer who will post something online saying something like send me a $10 gift card and I'll send you 10 to 20 gifts in return. It sounds great and a lot of fun but it is all a scam.

Here's how it works, you are asked to purchase a $10 gift card to send to a friend without them knowing. In exchange, you are promised a number of gifts in return. The problem is, it's illegal. Basically you are gambling by using the postal service. If caught, you could be fined and/or serve jail time (Cornell Law).

An Example of the Secret Sister Gift Exchange

You can simply search Secret Sister Gift Exchange on Facebook or any other social media site and get several results like the example above. It sounds great, right? It's not great nor will you get what is being promised. If one of your friends shares this, tell them to delete it and to not send any money in any form.

You and your friends can do this amongst yourselves. That is the safe, harmless and happy way to carry out a Secret Sister Gift Exchange.

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