Lost money to a scam › Gift cards
Paid a Scammer With Gift Cards? What to Do Now
No real company or government agency asks to be paid with gift cards. If you shared the card number and PIN, call the gift card company right away. If the money has not been spent yet, they may be able to freeze it.
What to do now
- Call the gift card companyUse the number on the back of the card or from the list below. Say a scammer has the card number and PIN.
- Ask them to freeze the cardAsk whether any balance is left and whether they can refund it.
- Keep the card and receiptYou may need both for a claim.
- Report the scamFile a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Official contacts
| Amazon | 1 (888) 280-4331 |
| American Express | 1 (877) 297-4438 |
| Apple, iTunes | 1 (800) 275-2273, say "gift card" for a live representative |
| Best Buy | 1 (888) 237-8289 |
| Google Play | Report at support.google.com/googleplay |
| Target | 1 (800) 544-2943 |
| Vanilla | 1 (833) 322-6760 |
| Visa gift cards | 1 (800) 847-2911 |
| Walmart | 1 (888) 537-5503 |
What to say when you call
"I bought [brand] gift cards worth [amount] and gave the numbers to a scammer on [date]. I want to freeze the cards and ask for a refund of any remaining balance."
Your rights
- Gift cards have few legal protections. Whether you get money back depends on the issuer and on whether the balance has already been spent.
If they say no
If you cannot reach the card company, report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Not sure if a request was a scam? Try the gift card scam checker.
Paid another way too?
- Credit card
- Debit card or bank account
- Zelle or bank transfer
- Venmo, Cash App or PayPal
- Wire transfer
- Cryptocurrency
- Cash by mail or courier
- All steps
This page is general information, not legal or financial advice, and following it does not guarantee you will get your money back.