Did someone tell you to buy a gift card and give them the numbers? That’s a scam.
Your money was gone the moment you gave someone those gift card numbers. But now, some gift card companies might be able to get your money back.
Gift card scams start with calls, texts, emails, or social media messages. The scammer pretends to be someone they’re not: a company, the government, a family member, or romantic interest. Their message is always urgent. And they want money. They’ll tell you to buy a gift card or maybe multiple gift cards. Once you do, they’ll demand you send a photo of the card or give them the numbers on the back of the card.
But now, some gift card companies are flagging fraudulent transactions and freezing stolen gift card money so that scammers can’t get it. And those gift card companies want to give that money back.