How gift card scams work: why scammers want them, and what to do

A match you have never met asks you to pick up a gift card and send a photo of the back, and it can sound like a small favor.

Short answer: Scammers want gift cards because the number and PIN on the back work like cash. In December 2021 the FTC wrote that gift cards give scammers quick cash, a largely irreversible payment, and anonymity. With the numbers, they can take the money while you still hold the card. The FTC says only scammers tell you to buy a gift card and give them the numbers. Don't share the codes. If you already did, call the card company today.

A match asked for a gift card: do this now

1. Don't buy the card. If they stay on the phone while you shop, the FTC says to hang up.
2. Don't send the numbers or a photo of the back.
3. Bought it but haven't shared the codes? Ask the store's customer service desk and the card company what they can do.
4. Already shared the codes? Call the number on the back of the card today. Keep the card and the receipt.
5. Keep the messages and screenshots of the profile. Then report the profile to the dating app.
6. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov. The FTC's romance scam page, read October 25, 2026, says that if you paid a romance scammer with a gift card, contact the company or your bank right away and ask for a refund.
7. If you are in danger, call 911.

Why do scammers want gift cards?

Gift cards are easy to buy and have fewer buyer protections than some other payments, the FTC wrote in a December 2021 Data Spotlight. "Scammers can get quick cash, the transaction is largely irreversible, and they can remain anonymous."

The numbers on the back are the money. The FTC's gift card guide, published January 28, 2026, says the number and PIN let a scammer get the money you loaded onto the card, "even if you still have the card itself." The 2021 spotlight says "the only thing the numbers are good for is taking the money on the card."

AARP, a nonprofit, notes that most people already know how to use them, unlike cryptocurrency. "Credit cards have significant fraud protection built in, but other payment methods don't," the Google Play help page says, and it puts gift cards in the second group.

What do the stories sound like?

The FTC's romance scam page says that once a scammer gains your trust, "they'll ask for your help to pay medical expenses (for them or a family member), buy their ticket to visit you, pay for their visa, or help them pay fees to get them out of trouble." It names gift cards like Amazon, Google Play, iTunes or Steam, with the PIN codes, among the ways they ask to be paid.

• Walmart's fraud alerts page describes a dating app match you haven't met asking you to "load a prepaid/gift card to pay for travel or support expenses."
• The BBB, in a February 10, 2023 scam alert, says "A dramatic emergency seems to crop up whenever you plan to meet."
• Apple's gift card scam page, read October 25, 2026, says scammers "might try to build trust, show romantic interest, pressure, or deceive you," and may guide you through the purchase "using precise instructions."

This message is invented for this article. "My flight got canceled and my card is frozen. Can you grab two Apple gift cards and send me the codes?" The tell is a travel cost paid in gift cards, the script the FTC describes.

For the wider warning signs, see signs of a romance scammer and online dating red flags. If the request followed a payment they sent you, read sugar daddy scams.

Why do scammers ask for Apple gift cards?

Apple cards ranked near the top in the FTC's loss data for the first nine months of 2021. For that period, the FTC's December 2021 Data Spotlight found that the most money was reported lost on Target gift cards, followed by Google Play, Apple, eBay and Walmart. No official source we read explains why Apple in particular.

"Apple gift cards can be used only to purchase products and services from Apple," its support page says. Apple lists hospital bills and immigration fees among the things its cards can't pay. A match who needs an Apple card for a visa or a medical bill is asking for something the card can't buy.

What happens to the cards after you share the numbers?

Apple warns that once scammers have the numbers, "the funds on the card might be spent before you're able to contact law enforcement or Apple Support."

In a September 28, 2021 release, the Department of Justice said a federal grand jury in Los Angeles indicted four people on charges of conspiring to launder proceeds of wire fraud stored on Target gift cards. According to the indictment, three of the defendants obtained over 5,000 gift cards and had them distributed to runners who "used the funds on the cards at Target stores in Los Angeles and Orange County and elsewhere to purchase, among other items, consumer electronics and other gift cards." An indictment is only an allegation.

In an October 2018 alert about fake requests from a boss to buy gift cards, IC3, the FBI complaint center, said the cards "are then used to facilitate the purchase of goods and services which may or may not be legitimate."

How common are gift card scams?

The latest full year in the FTC's own Consumer Sentinel Data Book is 2024. That book, published in March 2025, lists 41,120 reports and $212M in reported losses paid by gift card or reload card in 2024.

For 2025, an AARP update dated October 19, 2026 reports that, according to the FTC, at least $233 million was stolen through gift card scams, based on more than 35,000 reports. We could not find that figure on an FTC page. The FTC took no reports from October 1 to November 13, 2025, during a funding lapse, its October 2026 older adults report says, so 2025 report counts miss about six weeks.

Gift cards were not where the biggest 2025 losses were. A July 22, 2026 FTC alert says people reported more than $4 billion in 2025 losses to scams paid by bank transfer and cryptocurrency.

For people 60 and over, the FTC's October 2026 report on 2025 data says gift cards were the most frequent payment method older adults reported on several fraud types, romance scams included.

Can a gift card be tampered with in the store?

Yes. "Scammers sometimes tamper with gift cards in store displays," the FTC said in a December 3, 2024 alert. "They might remove the protective stickers from gift cards or even scratch off the back."

Target calls this "gift card draining." In a release posted by the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Attorney in Birmingham, Alabama, announced an indictment of two people. According to court documents, the perpetrators stole unactivated cards, opened the packages carefully to hide the damage, and altered the cards to reach money shoppers later loaded at checkout. "An indictment is merely an allegation," the release notes.

If stickers are missing or the back is scratched, the FTC's 2024 alert says to tell a cashier or manager, and consider a different store.

If you already sent the gift card numbers

Call the card company first. The FTC's "What To Do if You Were Scammed" page says to call the gift card company right away, using the number on the back of the card. The January 2026 FTC guide says to report it to the card company no matter how long ago the scam happened. Tell them a scammer tricked you into giving them the card number and PIN, ask for your money back, and keep the card and the receipt.

In an August 21, 2023 alert, the FTC said some companies are "flagging fraudulent transactions and freezing stolen gift card money so that scammers can't get it." "The faster you contact any gift card company to report a gift card scam, the better the chance of getting your money back," the FTC added.

Then file at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov and report the profile.

Watch for a second scam. The FTC's recovery scam page says scammers "buy, sell, and trade" lists of past victims, and "Government agencies and legitimate organizations will never ask for money to help you get a refund." The full reporting steps are in how to report a romance scammer.

Who to call for each gift card

Each row comes from the FTC's "How To Contact Gift Card Companies" list, read October 25, 2026, checked the same day against the company's own help page where it has one. Amazon's gift card scam page lists no phone number, so the Amazon row uses the number on the FTC list. The Steam row adds Steam's own instructions. For a card not listed, the FTC says to look for the company's contact information on the card itself.

Helping a parent

If the person who bought the cards is 60 or older, the National Elder Fraud Hotline from the Department of Justice is 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311), per the Office for Victims of Crime page read October 25, 2026. The AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline, a nonprofit service, is 877-908-3360, per its page read the same day. Both numbers and the full reporting steps are in how to report a romance scammer.

Before your next match

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FAQ

What do scammers do with gift cards?

Scammers can spend the balance before you report it. Apple's gift card scam page, read October 25, 2026, warns the funds "might be spent" before you reach Apple Support or the police. In one case, a federal indictment in Los Angeles alleged that runners used Target gift cards bought by fraud victims to buy electronics and more gift cards, the Department of Justice said on September 28, 2021. An indictment is only an allegation.

Is it possible to be scammed with an iTunes gift card?

Yes. The January 2026 FTC gift card guide names Apple cards among those scammers ask for, and its contact list covers Apple and iTunes cards. Apple's gift card scam page, read October 25, 2026, says its gift cards can pay only for Apple products and services, not bills or government fees. If a match asks for one, don't share the numbers. If you did, that page says to call Apple at 1 (800) 275-2273 and say "gift cards."

How can you tell if a gift card has been scammed?

Look at the back before you buy. The FTC's December 3, 2024 alert says scammers may peel off the protective stickers or scratch off the back to copy the numbers, then wait for you to load money. If anything looks disturbed, tell a cashier or manager, and consider looking at a different store, as the FTC puts it. Keep the card and receipt for a report.

Can someone steal your info from a gift card?

Amazon's gift card scam page, read October 25, 2026, says surveys asking for personal details, including banking information, in return for a gift card are common scams. Target's fraud page, read the same day, says "harvesters" pose as a balance-check service to collect gift card numbers and access codes. Target says to check your balance only on Target's own site.

Can you get your money back from a gift card scam?

Sometimes. The FTC said in an August 21, 2023 alert that some gift card companies had started freezing stolen money and may return it if the scammer hasn't used it yet. Call the number on the back of the card right away, keep the card and the receipt, and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov. The FTC's recovery scam page, published December 14, 2023, says legitimate organizations never ask for money to help you get a refund.