Learn how to protect yourself from gift card scams.
Gift cards are for gifts, not for payments. Only scammers will tell you to buy a gift card and give them the numbers off the back of the card. No real government agency or legitimate business will ever tell you to buy a gift card to pay them. Government agencies, such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), or local police departments, will not accept any form of gift cards as payment and would not ask you for gift card information, especially over the phone. You should never be asked to pay your utility bills, bail money, debt collection or hospital bills with gift cards. If you are, it’s a scam.
How Gift Card Scams Work
Gift card scams start with a call, text, email or social media message. Scammers will say almost anything to get you to buy gift cards and hand over the card number and PIN codes. Here are some common tactics scammers use in gift card scams:
- Scammers will say it’s urgent. They will say to pay them right away or something terrible will happen. Resist the pressure to act immediately. Slow down and talk with someone you trust. Don’t pay. It’s a scam.
- Scammers will tell you which gift card to buy and often where to buy it. They might instruct you to put money on a specific online retailer gift card or to go to a specific store to buy gift cards. Many retailers are training cashiers to identify suspicious gift card buying activity, so scammers may send you to several stores to avoid suspicion. In many cases, the scammer has stayed on the phone with the victim while they went to the store and bought gift cards. If this happens to you, hang up. It’s a scam.
- Scammers will ask you for the gift card number and PIN. The card number and PIN on the back of the card let the scammer get the money you loaded onto the card — even if you still have the card itself. Don’t give those numbers or send a photo of the card to anyone. It’s a scam.
Common Gift Card Scams
A gift card scam is really just the payment portion of a larger scam. Whether it’s an impostor scam, a tech scam, an emergency scam or a lottery scam, scammers tell different stories to get you to buy gift cards so they can steal your money. Here are some common scams where scammers will try to get your money through gift cards:
- Scammers say they’re from the government. They say they’re from the IRS, Treasury Department, FBI or local police department and that you have to pay taxes or a fine . . . right now! But government agencies won’t contact you to demand immediate payment, and they never demand payment by gift card. It’s a scam.
- Scammers say they’re from tech support. They say they’re from a computer company and there’s something wrong with your computer. They ask for remote access and say to pay them to get it fixed. Don’t give them access to your computer. It’s a scam. Legitimate tech companies won’t contact you by phone, email or text message to tell you there’s a problem with your computer.
- Scammers say they’re a friend or family member with an emergency. Someone calls or sends a message claiming to be a child or grandchild in trouble or the friend of a family member who is in trouble and needs you to help with an emergency. If the scammer uses voice cloning, they may even sound just like your loved one. They ask you to send money right away — but not tell anyone. It’s a scam. If you’re worried, contact the friend or relative or call other family members to check that everything is all right.
- Scammers say you’ve won a prize. But first, they tell you to pay taxes, fees or other charges with a gift card. It’s a scam. No honest business or agency will ever make you buy a gift card to pay them for a prize. And did you even enter to win that prize?
- Scammers say they’re from your utility company. They threaten to cut off your service if you don’t pay immediately. But utility companies don’t work that way. It’s a scam.
- Scammers ask for money after they chat you up on a dating website. Romance scammers will make up any story to trick you into buying a gift card to send them money. Slow down. Never send money or gifts to anyone you haven’t met in person — even if they send you money first.
- Scammers send a check for way more than you expected. They tell you to deposit the check and give them the difference on a gift card. Don’t do it. It’s a scam. That check will be fake, and you’ll be out all that money.
What To Do If You Gave a Gift Card to a Scammer
No matter what the scenario, if they tell you to buy gift cards and give them the numbers off the back of the card, it’s a scam. Always keep a copy of your gift card and store receipt. Use them to report gift card scams to the gift card company and ask for your money back.
- Report the gift card scam to the gift card company right away. No matter how long ago the scam happened, report it to the gift card company.
- Ask for your money back. Some companies are helping stop gift card scams and might give your money back. You’ll never know if you don’t ask.
- Tell the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Every report makes a difference.
Contacting Gift Card Companies
With a copy of the gift card and your purchase receipt in hand, contact the gift card retailer that issued the gift card. Contact information for some common gift card retailers is listed below.
Amazon
- Call 1-888-280-4331 and follow Amazon’s instructions.
- Visit Amazon’s website to learn about scams.
American Express
Apple, iTunes
- Call 1-800-275-2273. Say “gift card” to connect with a live representative. Follow Apple’s instructions.
- Ask if the money is still on the Apple or iTunes gift card. If so, Apple can put a freeze on it. Ask for your money back.
- Visit Apple’s website to learn about scams.
Best Buy
- Call 1-888-237-8289 and follow Best Buy’s instructions.
- Visit Best Buy’s website to learn about scams.
eBay
Google Play
MoneyPak
ReloadIt
- Call 1-888-633-9434 and follow ReloadIt’s instructions.
Sephora
- Call 1-877-737-4672 and follow Sephora’s instructions.
- Visit Sephora’s website to learn about scams.
Steam
Target
- Call 1-800-544-2943 and follow Target’s instructions.
- Visit Target’s website to learn about scams.
Vanilla
- Call 1-833-322-6760 and follow Vanilla’s instructions.
Visa
- Call 1-800-847-2911 and follow Visa’s instructions.
- Visit Visa’s website to learn about scams.
Walmart
Don’t see the vendor for your card on this list? Look for the company’s contact information on the card itself or research online to find out how to reach the card issuer. If you can’t find the contact information or the card issuer doesn’t want to talk to you, report it to the FTC.
Buying and Using Gift Cards
Gift cards are for gifts, not for payments. Never buy a gift card because someone tells you to buy one and give them the numbers. The Federal Trade Commission recommends following these tips whenever you buy gift cards:
- Stick to stores you know and trust. Avoid buying from online auction sites because the gift cards may be fake or stolen.
- Inspect the gift card before you buy it. Make sure the protective stickers are on the card and that it doesn’t look like someone tampered with them. Also check that the PIN number on the back isn’t showing. Pick a different gift card if you spot a problem and show the tampered card to a cashier or manager.
- Always keep a copy of the gift card and store receipt. Take a picture of the gift card and store receipt with your phone. The number on the gift card and store receipt will help you file a report with the gift card company if you lose the gift card or if you need to report fraud.