← Back to all guides

Any phone • Scams • 5 minutes

How to spot gift card scams

The golden ruleThe golden rule: if someone creates URGENCY and asks for MONEY or PERSONAL INFORMATION, stop. It is almost certainly a scam. A real company will never rush you, and it will wait while you check.
This guide is about gift card scams: anyone who tells you to pay with gift cards is a scammer. Take your time. Nothing in this guide can hurt your phone.

  1. Gift card and payment scams

    The rule: If ANYONE tells you to pay with gift cards, such as Apple, Google Play, or Visa gift cards, it is a scam. No real business, government office, or tech support takes gift cards as payment. Ever.

    Also a scam: Being told to wire money, send cryptocurrency, or send money through a cash app to "fix" a problem or "unlock" your account.

    What to do: Stop. Do not buy the cards, and do not send the codes. Once gift card codes are sent, the money is gone and cannot be recovered. Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov, the Federal Trade Commission’s fraud reporting site, and tell a family member.

  2. The pause test: three questions to ask yourself

    Before you do ANYTHING a stranger asks: pause. Ask yourself three questions: Are they rushing me? Do they want money or personal information? Did I contact them, or did they contact me? If they rushed you, want money or info, and THEY contacted YOU, it is a scam. When in doubt, ask a family member or friend before doing anything. A real company will wait.

← Back to all guides