Gift Card Scams: The One Rule That Spots Them, and What to Do If You Already Paid
Note: Some future links on this site may be affiliate links. We never claim hands-on testing; guides are researched from the public sources listed in each article.
How we wrote this: A summary of the Federal Trade Commission's "Avoiding and Reporting Gift Card Scams" page (linked below), checked October 29, 2026. Card companies' phone numbers and refund policies change, so use the FTC's current list rather than any number in a message you received.
The FTC sums it up in one rule: only scammers will tell you to buy a gift card and give them the numbers off the back. No real business or government agency will ever ask you to pay that way.
Gift cards are popular presents in November and December, which is exactly why scammers lean on them. Here is how the FTC describes the pattern.
How gift card scams work
They start with a call, text, email or social media message. Then come three tactics:
- Urgency. Pay now, or something terrible will happen. The FTC's response: slow down. Don't pay.
- They tell you which card to buy and where. For example eBay, Google Play, Target or Apple cards, often at specific stores. Sometimes they tell you to buy at several stores so cashiers won't get suspicious, or stay on the phone while you shop. If that happens, hang up.
- They ask for the card number and PIN. Those numbers let them take the money even though you still hold the card. Don't share them or send a photo of the card.
The stories scammers tell
The FTC lists the common ones:
| The story | The reality, per the FTC |
|---|---|
| "We're from the government" (IRS, Social Security, even the FTC) and you owe a tax or fine | Agencies don't demand immediate payment and never demand gift cards |
| "We're tech support from Microsoft or Apple" and your computer has a problem | Don't give remote access; don't pay |
| A friend or relative with an emergency, maybe using a cloned voice, asking you to keep it secret | Contact the person directly to check |
| You've won a prize, but must pay fees first | No honest prize requires gift-card fees |
| Your utility will be shut off today | Utilities don't work that way |
| A new online romance needs help | Never send money to someone you haven't met in person |
| A check for too much, "send back the difference on a gift card" | The check will be fake |
The FTC has also warned about messages that pretend to be your boss asking you to buy gift cards. For small businesses, that's worth a staff rule: no gift-card purchases on request by text or email without a call to a known number. (See business email compromise and phishing.)
Safe habits when you buy gift cards
- Gift cards are for gifts, not payments. Never buy one because someone told you to and wants the numbers.
- Keep the receipt and a copy of the card. The FTC says to keep them; they're what you'll need to report a problem and ask for a refund.
If you already gave a scammer the numbers
Act fast. The FTC's steps:
- Report it to the gift card company right away, no matter how long ago it happened. The FTC keeps a "How To Contact Gift Card Companies" list on its gift card page, with steps for major issuers. For some cards it notes the issuer may be able to freeze money still on the card.
- Ask for your money back. The FTC says some companies are helping stop these scams and might refund you. It's worth asking.
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Have the card and store receipt ready when you call.
Related scams this season
- Fake delivery texts: package delivery text scams
- Shopping sites that only take gift cards or wire transfers: holiday online shopping checklist
- Calls that ring once to bait a call-back: one-ring scam calls