Payment fraud
Gift Card Scams
Scammers ask for payment in gift cards because the money is hard to trace and nearly impossible to recover.
What this scam looks like
- An email, text, or call claiming you owe money, taxes, or fees — and must pay with gift cards.
- Instructions to buy Apple, Google, Amazon, or Visa gift cards and read the codes over the phone or email.
- Someone pretending to be your boss, IT, the IRS, or a utility company.
How it usually starts
- Urgent message: your account is locked, a bill is overdue, or you won a prize.
- Pressure to act immediately and keep it secret from family or coworkers.
- Request for gift cards instead of a normal payment method.
Why it works
- Gift cards feel familiar and easy to buy.
- Urgency and authority make people act before verifying.
- Once codes are shared, the money is gone.
Warning signs
- Any request for gift cards as payment
- Pressure to act within hours
- Instructions not to tell anyone
- Caller or sender you cannot verify through official channels
What to do
- Stop. Do not buy gift cards or share codes.
- Contact the real company using a number or website you look up yourself.
- Tell someone you trust what happened.
- If you already shared codes, call the gift card issuer immediately.
What not to do
- Do not buy gift cards for someone who contacted you unexpectedly.
- Do not share gift card numbers or photos of cards.
- Do not call phone numbers inside the suspicious message.
What if I already responded?
- Call the gift card company on the number on the card — not from the email.
- Tell your bank if you used a card to purchase gift cards.
- Save screenshots and report to your mail provider.
- See our recovery guide for more steps.
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