Gift card scams: if someone asks for the numbers on the back, it is a scam
No real business or government agency asks to be paid with a gift card. How gift card scams work, the stories scammers tell, what to do right away if you already read out the numbers, and the phone numbers the FTC lists for each card company.
The one rule
The FTC puts it in a single line: 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 tell you to buy a gift card to pay them. Not the IRS, not your power company, not Microsoft, not Amazon.
That rule is worth more than any list of tricks, because the stories change every month and the rule does not. If the conversation ends with "buy a card and read me the numbers," you already know what it is.
Gift cards are popular with scammers for a simple reason. The card number and the PIN on the back are enough to spend the money. They do not need the card itself, and once the balance is spent, there is usually nothing left for anyone to send back.
How the scam goes
It starts with a call, a text, an email or a message on social media. The FTC describes three moves that show up in almost every version:
- It's urgent. Pay right now or something terrible happens. The point is to stop you from thinking, or from talking to someone you trust.
- They tell you which card to buy, and where. Often a Google Play, Apple, eBay, Target or Amazon card, from a specific store such as Walmart, Target, CVS or Walgreens. Some send you to several stores so no cashier gets suspicious. Some stay on the phone while you are in the store.
- They ask for the card number and PIN, read out loud or as a photo of the back of the card.
If you are on the phone with someone who is walking you through this, hang up. That is the whole defense.
The stories they tell
The FTC lists the stories it sees most. They are worth knowing, because each one sounds different while asking for the same thing.
- "This is the government." Someone says they are from the IRS, the Social Security Administration, or even the FTC, and you owe taxes or a fine. Government agencies won't contact you to demand immediate payment, and they never demand payment by gift card.
- "This is tech support." Microsoft or Apple, saying something is wrong with your computer. They ask for remote access and a payment to fix it. Don't give them access.
- "It's me, I'm in trouble." A friend or relative with an emergency who needs money now and asks you not to tell anyone. The FTC warns that with voice cloning, the caller can sound just like the person. Hang up and contact that person yourself, on the number you already have.
- "You won a prize." But first you have to pay fees with a gift card. No honest business or agency makes you buy a gift card to collect a prize.
- "This is your utility company." Pay now or we cut off your power. Utility companies don't work that way.
- Someone you met online. A match on a dating site or social media who suddenly needs money. In 2022, 24% of people who reported losing money to a romance scam said it was taken with gift cards, the most common payment method in those reports. More in our article on romance scams.
- A check for too much. Someone sends you a check for more than you expected, and asks you to deposit it and send the difference on a gift card. The check is fake, and you lose the money you sent.
Before you act on a message
Many of these start with a link: a "refund" page, a "prize" page, a page that asks you to sign in. If a message wants you to open something, paste the link into our checker first. We open it in a browser that is not yours and show you where it really goes, how new the site is, and whether it asks for a login or a payment.
If the message came from a phone number or an email address, you can also look it up to see whether anyone has reported it. No reports does not mean safe: most scam numbers have never been reported anywhere.
The checker can't hear a phone call, though. On a call, the rule is your only check, and it is enough.
If you already gave someone the numbers
Move quickly. The FTC's advice is to use your gift card and your store receipt for these steps:
- Report it to the company that issued the card, right away, no matter how long ago it happened. The numbers are in the table below.
- Ask for your money back. Some companies are working to stop gift card scams and may refund you. If money is still on an Apple or Google Play card, the FTC says those companies can freeze it, so ask about that first.
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Every report helps.
If you no longer have the card, the receipt still helps. Keep it.
Who to call, by card
These are the contacts the FTC lists on its gift card page. Call the number from this list, not a number from a search result, a pop-up or the scammer.
- Amazon: call 1 (888) 280-4331
- American Express: call 1 (877) 297-4438
- Apple, iTunes: call 1 (800) 275-2273, say "gift card" to reach a live representative, and ask whether the money is still on the card
- Best Buy: call 1 (888) 237-8289
- eBay: chat with eBay customer support, or ask for a call back
- Google Play: report it to Google through its gift card scam form, and ask whether the money is still on the card
- MoneyPak: submit a fraud claim to MoneyPak
- ReloadIt: call 1 (888) 633-9434
- Sephora: call 1 (877) 737-4672
- Steam: report it through Steam Support
- Target: call 1 (800) 544-2943
- Vanilla: call 1 (833) 322-6760
- Visa: call 1 (800) 847-2911
- Walmart: call 1 (888) 537-5503
Card not on the list? The FTC suggests looking for the company's contact details on the card itself. If you cannot find them, or the company won't talk to you, report it to the FTC.
When you buy a gift card for a real gift
Gift cards are for gifts, and the FTC's buying advice is short:
- Buy from stores you know. Online auction sites can sell fake or stolen cards.
- Look at the card before you pay. The protective sticker should be in place and the PIN should not be showing. If something looks tampered with, pick another card and show the bad one to a cashier or a manager.
- Take a photo of the card and the receipt. The numbers on them are what you need if the card is lost or you have to report fraud.
The short version
Nobody legitimate gets paid in gift cards. If you are asked to, stop, hang up, and tell someone you trust. If it already happened, call the card company today and keep the receipt.
Sources: FTC: Avoiding and Reporting Gift Card Scams · FTC Data Spotlight: Romance scammers' favorite lies exposed (Feb 2023)
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