If someone asks you to pay them with a gift card, it's almost certainly a scam. Real companies, government bodies, banks and the police never ask to be paid in gift cards.
Common scams
- Someone selling something online (a phone, a console, a social media account) who asks for payment in gift cards.
- Calls or messages claiming to be from HMRC, the police, your bank or a utility company, demanding payment by gift card.
- A "friend" or relative messaging from a new number, asking you to buy gift cards urgently.
- Investment, romance or prize offers that need a gift card to "release" money.
- Fake job offers that ask you to buy gift cards for your employer.
Protect yourself
- Never share a gift card code with someone you don't know and trust. Anyone with the code can spend it.
- Be wary of urgency and pressure. Scammers want you to act before you think.
- If in doubt, stop and talk to someone you trust.
Already been scammed? See I’ve been scammed into buying a gift card.