How to Get a Refund for a Gift Card Scam
In 2021 alone, about 40,000 consumers used gift cards to pay scammers, according to the Federal Trade Commission. If you fall victim to one of these trust traps, whether it’s a love scam , artificial intelligence scam , sex extortion , or something else, don’t think you’re out of luck because you’ve already paid. your cheater. You may be able to get your money back if you act quickly.
How to get a refund if you sent gift cards to a scammer
According to the Federal Trade Commission , some gift card companies have begun freezing fraudulent funds on gift cards to prevent criminals from obtaining them, and often allow fraud victims to get their money back as well. So, if you have been scammed, follow these steps:
- Report this to the company that issued the gift card . Call the gift card company as soon as you realize you have been scammed. Give them the gift card number, your store’s purchase receipt, and any other information they request. The sooner you contact them the better chance you have of getting a refund, but report any casualties regardless of when they happened. There is always a chance.
- Ask for a refund: If the funds have been frozen or the scammers have not used them yet, the card company can refund your money. However, scammers usually take the money pretty quickly.
- Report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission . It may not help you get your money back, but accurate scam information can help stop scams as an industry.
How to contact gift card companies about scams
Below are the fraud reporting guidelines for the top 13 gift card providers. If your card is not listed, look up the company’s contact information online or on the card itself.
Amazon
Call 1 (888) 280-4331 and follow Amazon’s instructions.
American Express
Call 1 (877) 297-4438 and follow the American Express instructions.
Apple, iTunes
Call 1 (800) 275-2273. Say “gift card” to contact a live representative. Follow Apple instructions.
Ask if the money is on an Apple or iTunes gift card. If so, Apple may freeze it. Ask for your money back.
Best Buy
Call 1 (888) 237-8289 and follow Best Buy’s instructions.
eBay
Talk to eBay support or ask a representative to call you back.
Keep a copy of your eBay gift card or store receipt.
Google games
Report gift card scam to Google .
Ask for your money back. If the money is still on the card, Google may freeze it. If you don’t have a Google account, please fill out this form .
MoneyPak
File a Fraud Report with MoneyPak .
Reload
Call 1 (888) 633-9434 and follow the ReloadIt instructions.
Sephora
Call 1 (877) 737-4672 and follow Sephora’s instructions.
Steam
Report Steam Gift Card Fraud via Steam Support .
Target
Call 1 (800) 544-2943 and follow Target’s instructions.
Vanilla
Call 1 (833) 322-6760 and follow Vanilla’s instructions.
Visa
Call 1 (800) 847-2911 and follow Visa’s instructions.
walmart
Call 1 (888) 537-5503 and follow Walmart instructions.
Beware of “refund and return scams”
One of the most insidious types of scams is “data recovery scams” and if you’ve just been successfully scammed, you’re the target. Here’s how it works: Victims of a previous scam are contacted by an organization that appears to be legitimate – a bank fraud team, a card company’s legal department, an organization dedicated to helping victims of fraud, etc. – and asked to pay a fee or relinquish personal information. to recover the stolen money.
This is either a double scam by a real scammer, or your information has been put on a list of suckers and the sharks are circling. So don’t trust unsolicited messages from people who claim they can get your money back. Either hang up/press delete and forget about it, or find the organization’s information and call them yourself instead.
How to avoid gift card scams
Fraudsters can be very persuasive, but a simple rule to keep in mind to avoid gift card scams is that legitimate businesses and government organizations do not accept gift card payments. No legitimate individual can be paid with gift cards only. So if someone is making fun of a check or a credit card payment, they are probably on the wrong level.
There is a lot more to avoid becoming a victim of online scams, so check out Lifehacker’s Fraud Prevention Guide for more information .
Why do scammers use gift cards?
Internet scammers mainly use these three tools to separate people from their money: wire transfers from companies like Western Union, cryptocurrencies, and gift cards. Unlike cryptocurrencies and bank transfers, gift cards are easy to buy for stamps – everyone knows that the supermarket has a whole shelf of them.
They are also easy for scammers to scam: once gift card numbers and PINs are given to scammers, some cards (such as Visa gift cards) become practically cash. While some card companies take steps to prevent fraud, gift card crimes are difficult to track down and prosecute. Many cards can be used internationally, and gift cards are not tied to an individual or account as they are meant to be given away, making scammers extremely difficult to catch and prosecute.