Gift Card Scams

RECOGNIZE:

Follow these guidelines to spot gift card payment scams:

• Gift cards are an unusual payment method for legitimate transactions. If someone asks you to pay for goods, services or debts using gift cards instead of conventional payment methods, like credit cards or checks, it should raise immediate suspicion. 
• Be extremely cautious when you receive unexpected or unsolicited phone calls, emails or text messages from someone claiming to be a representative of a company, government agency or tech support. 
• Pay attention to urgency, threats or pressure to act quickly. They may claim that there’s an emergency, outstanding debt or a limited-time offer that requires immediate payment using gift cards. 
• Beware of someone who avoids answering your questions or doesn’t have a process to verify who you are. Legitimate businesses will have processes to verify your identity and be able to provide detailed information about the transaction or services.

REPORT AND RECOVER:

Follow these steps to minimize damage and protect yourself from further harm:

• Keep the cards and receipts. This will help when filing a report.
• Contact the gift card issuer right away to report the fraudulent activity. Some gift card issuers may have specific procedures for handling fraud claims, so be sure to follow their instructions.
• If you shared any personal information or account details with the scammer, change your passwords immediately and monitor your accounts for any unauthorized activity. 
• Report it to the FTC—even if you didn’t lose money—at ReportFraud.ftc.gov

SCAMMERS MAY POSE AS:

Government Officials

They pose as government officials, such as IRS agents, and demand payment for taxes or fines.

Tech Support Agents

They claim that there is a problem with your computer or phone asking for payment to fix the problem.

Bosses or Coworkers

They pose as your boss or coworker, requesting gift cards for various reasons, like bonuses or client gifts.

Utility Companies

They claim that payment is necessary to pay off an outstanding balance and avoid shutoff of services.

Charity Representatives

They pose as representatives from legitimate charities asking for donations in the form of gift cards.

RECOGNIZE:

Follow these guidelines to spot zero-value gift card scams:

• Beware of cards that have been tampered with. Look for cut seams, scratched off pin labels and stickers over barcodes. If you find a damaged card, turn it into a store associate.
• Be cautious when purchasing gift cards from unofficial sellers, online marketplaces or unfamiliar websites. Scammers may sell counterfeit or compromised gift cards that have no value.
• Proceed with caution if the gift card is being sold at unusually low prices or offered with significant discounts that seem too good to be true. 
• If you receive or purchase a gift card that is already expired, doesn’t work, cannot be verified through the retailer’s official balance-checking methods or shows no balances, you should take action immediately.

REPORT AND RECOVER:

Follow these steps to minimize damage and protect yourself from further harm:

• Keep the cards and receipts. This will help when filing a report.
• Contact the gift card issuer or store where you bought the gift card right away to report the fraudulent activity. Gift card issuers and retailers may have specific procedures for handling fraud claims, so be sure to follow their instructions.
• Report it to the FTC—even if you didn’t lose money—at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

SPOT A FAKE GIFT CARD WEBSITE:

Scammers are crafty, and they are really good at making fake websites look legitimate. Before clicking on a link or entering any information on a website, pay close attention to:

Website URLs

Scammers create URLs that mimic legitimate websites to deceive users. Look for extra characters and review what precedes the final “.com”, “.org”, etc.

Design Flaws and Errors

Legitimate websites have professional and well-designed layouts. Fake websites often contain visual inconsistencies or formatting errors.

Padlock Icons and “HTTPS:”

These show if a website has a security certificate, but don’t rely solely on these. Scammers have started using them to make their websites look real. 

A Gut Feeling

Don’t set your suspicions aside for a deal that’s too good to be true. If you have a feeling that something is wrong, move on.

RECOGNIZE:

Follow these guidelines to spot gift card payment scams:

• Be extremely cautious if you receive unexpected emails, text messages or social media messages claiming that you’ve won a gift card giveaway. Legitimate giveaways require some form of participation or entry.
• Beware of upfront payments or fees. Legitimate gift card giveaways don’t require any payments or fees to claim a prize.
• Steer clear of giveaways that ask you to provide personal information such as your name, address, phone number or even financial details to claim the gift card. Legitimate giveaways don’t require extensive personal information upfront. 
• Proceed with caution if the prize being offered is significantly higher in value than what is typically given away in legitimate promotions. Scammers often lure victims with promises of exceptionally large gift card amounts to entice them into falling for the scam. 

REPORT AND RECOVER:

Follow these steps to minimize damage and protect yourself from further harm:

• If you provided financial information, contact your bank or credit card company right away. They can help you monitor your accounts and prevent unauthorized charges.
• If you provided personal information, like your Social Security number, you may be at risk for identity theft. Keep an eye on your credit report and financial accounts for any unusual activity, and consider placing a freeze on your credit.
• If you clicked on a link, run a full system scan using antivirus software to check if your device was infected with malware.
• Report it to the FTC—even if you didn’t provide sensitive information or lose money—at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

SPOT A PHISHING ATTACK:

Phishing emails and text messages are designed to look legitimate, but there are several signs you can look for to identify them. Pay close attention to:

Urgent Language

Phishing emails and text messages often use urgent language to pressure you into taking immediate action. 

Requests for Personal Information

Legitimate companies don’t ask for personal information like your Social Security number, credit card information or passwords via email or text.

Strange Sender

Pay attention if the sender’s email address contains unusual characters, misspellings, random numbers or unfamiliar domain names.

Poor Spelling or Grammar

This might be a sign that the messages were written by scammers who were in a hurry or may not be native English speakers.