I personally enjoy getting and giving gift cards for any occasion. I like the freedom of shopping online or at a brick and mortar store and , in some instances, sharing my great finds with the person who gifted me the card. Unfortunately ,scammers have devised ways to deplete gift card accounts with a call, text, or email and unsuspecting consumers have no idea they’ve been taken. Here are some tips on how to recognize this scam.

Government officials never as for gift cards as a payment for any purpose whatsoever. Scammers will claim you owe taxes, fines, or other official sounding bills and ask that you pay with a gift card. SCAM !

Hooray! You won our latest contest! We want to send you a check right away but first we need you to pay some upfront fees before we can proceed further. A gift card works best ! SCAM!

Things are going nicely with the new person you met online. Friendly, caring, understanding but needs a bit of cash to eat or pay bills. A gift card would be the fastest way. They ask for the numbers on the back and the pin and off they go – with your money! SCAM!

For more information on gift card scams visit the FTC at https://www.ftc.gov and/or the business who issued the card. For example ,if it is an Amazon gift card contact Amazon or visit their website. It is important to remember that gift cards are for gifts-not payments of any kind. Be thoughtful and be careful. Don’t let scammers get your gift.