Only scammers demand gift cards: train staff and cashiers on the FTC’s warning signs and recovery steps

The FTC says only scammers tell people to buy gift cards and hand over the numbers, and no real business or government agency will tell anyone to pay by gift card. Its guidance lists urgency, instructions on which cards and stores to use, and requests for the card number and PIN as warning signs, and explains how to report and seek refunds.

Source facts

The FTC’s gift card scam guidance, dated July 2023, says only scammers will tell someone to buy a gift card and give them the numbers off the back, and that no real business or government agency will ever tell anyone to buy a gift card to pay them. Scams start with a call, text, email or social media message, and the card number and PIN let the scammer take the money even if the victim still holds the card.

Warning signs include urgency, instructions on which gift card to buy and where, being told to buy cards at several stores so cashiers won’t get suspicious, and a scammer staying on the phone while the victim loads money. Common stories include government agencies, tech support asking for remote access, a friend or family member in an emergency who may sound real through voice cloning, prizes, utility shutoffs and overpayment checks.

Anyone who gave a scammer gift card numbers should report it to the gift card company right away, no matter how long ago it happened, ask for the money back, and tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, keeping a copy of the card and store receipt. Buyers should check that protective stickers are intact and the PIN is not showing before purchase.

Applicability

Use this for staff training at any organization and for retailers that sell gift cards. The guidance is written for consumers; the same warning signs apply to employees targeted at work.

DSE recommendation

DSE recommends a written rule that no one at the organization ever pays a vendor, agency or executive by gift card, and training staff and cashiers on the FTC’s warning signs. Require a callback through a known number before any unusual payment request, let cashiers pause large or repeated gift card sales to give a scam warning, and post the reporting steps where finance staff can find them.

Verification

Include a gift-card request in phishing or phone-scam exercises, record how staff respond, and review purchase records for gift card buys outside approved gifting programs.

Official reference

Federal Trade Commission Consumer Advice — Avoiding and Reporting Gift Card Scams (July 2023). Reviewed October 18, 2026.