Gift cards may be used for a variety of reasons, such as birthday and holiday gifts, but scammers may also use them to take advantage of unsuspecting individuals.
Gift card or voucher scams generally involve deceptive tactics where scammers trick people into purchasing gift cards or vouchers. They then have them share the card details, voucher code, or PIN. Typically, these scammers impersonate authority figures, relatives in distress, or government service providers, coercing victims into believing they owe money and need to buy gift cards to settle the debt. Once scammers obtain the card details, they can swiftly drain the funds, leaving victims out of pocket.
This guide will dive into how gift card and voucher scams may work and potential ways to avoid them.
Gift card scams can vary depending on a scammer’s approach. But here’s how they typically work:1
Gift card and voucher scams are among some of the most common scams because they provide criminals with an anonymous and untraceable way to steal from others.
Once they receive gift card or voucher details, scammers can quickly convert them into cash or make online purchases. Because gift cards typically don’t store or link to personal information, scammers can easily evade detection.
Here are some potential ways people can spot and protect themselves from gift card scams:
If a person suspects they have been a gift card scam victim, here is what they could do:
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