Gift card scams are on the rise. Gift cards are supposed to be used for gifts, not as a payment method. If someone says you need to pay for a product, service, investment, or anything else in gift cards, this is a scam.
Gift cards are a popular target for scammers. They may ask you to pay with gift cards, or they might try to sell you a gift card that isn’t real. The key to spotting a gift card scam is to know that if someone asks you to pay in gift cards, they are scamming you. No reputable business will ask you to pay for something in gift cards.
If you’re buying anything online, look up the company and make sure it’s legitimate before making a purchase. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Scammers often ask for retail gift cards because they can easily transfer them into cash and get away with their crime. If a deal is too good to be true, it probably is.
Red flags indicating a gift card scam:
- Someone asking you to pay for a product or service in gift cards
- Someone asking you to buy a gift card for them and then reimburses them later
- Someone asking you to buy multiple gift cards in exchange for cash or store credit
- Someone offering to sell you gift cards at lower prices than they’re listed
As a general rule of thumb, if a person or company asks you to use a gift card for payment, this is a scam. In that case, simply terminate the conversation and move on. These gift card scams can be difficult to detect at times, but if you know what to look for, you’ll be able to spot a scammer before they have a chance to get you.
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