Typically, these scammers impersonate authority figures, relatives in distress, or service providers, coercing victims into believing they need to buy gift cards as payments or solutions to.

β€” gift card scams can start off with a phone call, email or text.

First they’ll call, text, email, or send a social media message.

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1 gift cards are far more frequently reported than any other payment method for fraud, 2 and the numbers have reached staggering new highs compared to past years.

Learn how fraudsters trick victims into sending them online gift cards or reading the numbers on the back of a gift card over the phone.

Find the resources you need to understand how consumer protection law impacts your business.

β€” did someone tell you to buy a gift card and give them the numbers?

If you bought a gift card and gave someone the numbers off the back of the card, that’s a scam.

β€” about one in four people who report losing money to fraud say it happened when a scammer tricked them into giving the numbers on the back of a gift card.

You’ll either be told in store that the gift card is invalid and can’t be used, or the cashier accepts the gift certificate unaware that it’s fake and the business loses stock.

No matter how long ago the scam happened, report it.

Learn more about your rights as a consumer and how to spot and avoid scams.

When a fraudster sells a counterfeit gift card or certificate, either the consumer they’ve sold it to or the business they’ve counterfeited will lose out.

β€” gift card scammers only want your money.

But now, some gift card companies might be able to get your money back.

Your money was gone the moment you gave someone those gift card numbers.

β€” gift card scams generally involve deceptive tactics where scammers trick people into purchasing gift cards and then have them share the card details or pin.

Report the gift card scam to the gift card company right away.

The brazoria gift card scam suspects busted for selling fake gift certificates.

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Use your gift card and gift card store receipt for these next steps:

3 in the first nine months of.

β€” indeed, the us department of justice announced this week the indictment of four suspected gift card scammers, and alleges that that these four had ended up with more than 5000 fradulently obtained cards to spend on themselves.