As the holidays approach, scams multiply. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sums it up: only scammers will tell you to buy a gift card to pay them.
Warning signs
- You are asked to buy gift cards and read the numbers over the phone.
- You are pressured to pay right away, with threats.
- You are told which card to buy and which store to use, sometimes with the caller staying on the line.
- You are asked for the card number and PIN, or a photo.
- The caller claims to be from a government agency, tech support, a utility or a relative in trouble, or announces a prize that requires paying with gift cards.
If you already paid
- Contact the gift card company as soon as possible, even if the payment was long ago.
- Ask for your money back: some companies can freeze a card that still has a balance.
- Keep the card and the receipt.
- Report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
This article is informational.
Sources
This article is our own summary. Official sources : FTC, Gift Card Scams.
