Gift cards are easy to send and hard to trace, which makes them popular with scammers. Knowing the common tricks is the best way to protect yourself.
The Golden Rule
No real company, government office or bank will ever ask you to pay with a gift card. If someone asks you to buy gift cards and send them the codes, it’s a scam.
Common Gift Card Scams
- Fake prizes and lotteries. You “won” something, but must pay a fee in gift cards first.
- Fake support or tech help. Someone claims your computer or account has a problem and asks for gift cards to fix it.
- Government or tax threats. A caller says you owe taxes or fines and must pay with gift cards.
- Romance and friendship scams. An online contact asks you for gift cards as a favour or for an emergency.
- Fake boss or colleague. A message that looks like it’s from your manager asks you to buy gift cards urgently.
- Marketplace scams. A buyer or seller asks to pay or be paid in gift card codes.
Warning Signs
- Pressure to act fast.
- Requests to keep it secret.
- Requests to send photos of the codes.
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