Gift cards are a scammer's favorite payment method because they're untraceable, irreversible, and instantly cashable. In 2023, consumers reported $217 million lost to gift card scams. The single most important thing to know: no legitimate organization accepts gift cards as payment.
Asked to pay with gift cards?
Paste the message here — if someone asked for gift card payment, it's almost certainly a scam.
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No legitimate business, government agency, utility company, or tech company accepts payment via gift cards. If someone asks you to buy gift cards and share the codes, it is 100% a scam. The IRS, your bank, Microsoft, Apple — none of them accept gift cards.
Gift card scams use these scripts: "Pay your tax debt with iTunes cards" (IRS scam), "Buy Google Play cards to keep your account active" (tech support scam), "Send gift card codes to help me while I'm stranded" (impersonation scam), "Pay bail/fine with gift cards" (government scam).
Scammers also tamper with gift cards on store racks — scratching off PIN codes, recording them, and replacing the stickers. When buying gift cards, choose cards from the back of the rack, check that packaging is intact, and buy from behind the counter when possible.
If you've already shared gift card codes with a scammer, contact the gift card company immediately. Apple, Google, Amazon, and others have fraud departments that may be able to freeze the funds if you act quickly enough.