Gift cards are great for their intended purpose: as a special gift, to let someone know you’re thinking about them, while giving them flexibility to choose something nice for themselves. Once they have those, they’ve got access to the money you’ve loaded onto the card, and you’re left with no way to get that money back. Once you’ve purchased the gift card, the scammer will ask for the card number and PIN over email or phone. Regardless of who they claim to be, the common factor is they’ll request gift cards as payment.
It’s not true, of course - it’s a lie designed to make you so anxious you respond without thinking. They’ll add a sense of urgency by claiming that something terrible will happen if you don’t make the payment quickly. They may pose as a family member or friend in desperate need of money, or they may pretend to be a business or government agency claiming you owe them money. Gift card scammers usually start by demanding payment for something. Once bad actors get hold of your gift card numbers and spend the money, it’s gone.
While most payment processors, credit cards, and banks have consumer protections built right in, there are fewer protections available for gift cards. Requesting gift cards is a common trick that con artists use to steal money from people. Gift Card Scams – Protect yourself and your loved ones this holiday season
