Gift card scams are a type of financial fraud where scammers trick victims into purchasing gift cards and sharing the card numbers and PINs, allowing the fraudsters to quickly steal the card’s value. These scams are common because gift cards are hard to trace and easy to convert into cash or resale value. Fraudsters often pose as government officials, company representatives, or tech support agents, claiming urgent issues like unpaid taxes, security breaches, or account suspensions that can only be resolved with gift card payments.

Other scams involve fake customer service calls, phishing emails, or online sellers on platforms like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist who insist on gift cards as payment. Some even lure victims with fake offers or “prize” claims that require gift card purchases.