How to avoid gift card scams
Published · By Vanilla Balance
Gift cards are a favorite tool of scammers because they're fast, anonymous, and almost impossible to reverse once used. Knowing the warning signs is the easiest way to protect yourself.
Red flags to watch for
- Demands for payment in gift cards. No legitimate government agency, utility, employer, or business will ever ask you to pay them with a gift card.
- Urgency.Scammers push you to act immediately so you don't have time to think or check.
- Requests to share the card number and PIN. The digits on the back of a gift card are the equivalent of cash — anyone with them can drain the balance.
- Suspicious-looking cards on the rack. If the packaging looks tampered with or the activation strip is scratched, choose another card.
If you've been scammed
- Contact the gift card issuer immediately and report the fraud. They may be able to freeze unused funds.
- Keep the card and your receipt. The issuer will need the card number, the receipt, and a description of what happened.
- Report the scam to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Trust the basics
When in doubt, hang up the phone, close the browser, and call the official customer service number on the card or issuer's website. You can always check your remaining balance for free using our balance lookup before taking any action.