What to do
- Do not buy the cards, and do not send or read out any numbers or photos.
- Hang up or stop replying. If the message claims to be from a company, a tax office, the police or your bank, contact them yourself, on a number from their own website or from your card.
- If it claims to be your boss, a relative or a friend, call them on the number you already have, or ask for your family safe word.
- If you already bought cards or shared the numbers, contact the company that issued the cards straight away, on the number or website printed on the card, and ask them to freeze the balance. Keep the cards and the receipts. The first-hour guide lists where to report in your country.
- Talk it over with someone you trust. Scammers ask you to keep it secret because a second person spots the trick.
What you paste stays on your phone
The check runs on your own phone or computer, inside this page. The page’s security setting (a Content Security Policy, a rule the browser enforces) blocks it from connecting to any server after it has loaded, so what you paste stays on your device.
- No account, no sign-up and no cookies.
- Press Clear or close the tab, and what you pasted is gone.
- You can test it: switch the internet off once the page has loaded, and it still works.
Why criminals ask for gift cards
A gift card works like cash: whoever holds the numbers on the back can spend the balance at once, and the payment is very hard to trace or reverse. In Federal Trade Commission data for 2024, gift cards were the payment method people reported most often for government impersonation, technical support, romance and family impersonation scams (Federal Trade Commission, Protecting Older Consumers report, December 2025).
The organisations people trust say the same thing in plain words. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: “Gift cards are not meant for payments and no legitimate business or organization will request these.” Amazon: “We will never ask you to purchase a gift card.”
The usual stories
- A “tax office”, “police officer” or “court” says you owe money or face arrest.
- “Technical support” or “your bank” says your computer or account is locked, or that you were refunded too much and must send the difference back.
- A “boss” who is in a meeting asks you to buy cards for staff or clients and send the codes.
- A relative on a new number, or someone met online, has an emergency and needs cards now.
- A prize or a job needs a “release fee” paid in cards.
What this check cannot do
It reads the words in the message. It cannot tell who sent it, and a new wording can get past it. A message with no warning signs found may still be a scam, so whenever anyone wants payment in gift cards, stop and check with someone you trust.
Buying a gift card as a present
Gift cards are good presents. Criminals sometimes tamper with cards on the shop rack, record the numbers, and spend the balance once it is loaded. These steps help:
- Check the packaging and the cover over the PIN for cuts, peeling or resealing before you pay.
- Choose cards kept behind the counter, or buy a digital card on the retailer’s own website or app.
- Keep the receipt until the card has been used.
- Ask the person you give it to to check the balance when they receive it.
Questions and answers
Someone asked me to pay with gift cards. Is it a scam?
Yes: no genuine company, government body, court, bank or family emergency is settled with gift card codes. Stop, do not send any numbers, and contact the organisation or person yourself on a number you already have.
Why does a seller want me to pay with gift cards?
Because gift card payments are very hard to trace or reverse. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre puts it plainly: “Gift cards are not meant for payments and no legitimate business or organization will request these.”
I already sent the gift card numbers. Can I get the money back?
Contact the company that issued the card straight away, using the number or website printed on the card, tell them a scammer has the numbers and ask them to freeze the balance. Keep the card and receipt, then report it; the first-hour guide shows where for your country.
My boss asked me to buy gift cards for clients. What should I do?
Check with your boss in person or on a number you already have before buying anything. Messages from a “boss” who cannot talk and needs gift cards for staff or clients are a well-known impersonation scam.
How do I buy a gift card safely as a present?
Check the packaging and PIN cover for tampering, choose cards kept behind the counter or a digital card from the retailer’s own website, keep the receipt, and ask the person to check the balance when they receive it.