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Overview
Gift card scams use urgency, impersonation, or false promises to convince someone to buy gift cards and provide the card numbers and PINs. A scammer may ask for the information by email, text message, phone, social media, or chat.
Once the card number and PIN are shared, the scammer can redeem or resell the value quickly. Recovery may be difficult, but reporting the scam to the gift card issuer immediately can still be worthwhile.
Gift cards are intended to be used as gifts or for purchases from the company named on the card. A legitimate business, government agency, or university office will not require gift cards as payment for a bill, fine, tax, fee, tuition charge, technical problem, or emergency.
How It Works
The scammer first creates a reason for immediate action. Common examples include:
- A person impersonating a supervisor, instructor, colleague, or university leader who needs gift cards for an event or recognition program.
- A caller claiming that you owe money to a government agency, utility, bank, or law-enforcement office.
- A message claiming that a family member or friend has an emergency.
- A fake technical-support representative demanding payment to repair a device or account.
- A fake employer asking you to buy gift cards for clients or equipment and promising reimbursement.
- A prize, refund, or investment offer that requires an upfront gift card payment.
The scammer may tell you which cards to buy, direct you to visit several stores, remain on the phone while you make the purchases, and ask for photographs of the cards or receipts. The scammer may also tell you not to discuss the request with anyone.
Some gift card fraud occurs before a legitimate customer buys a card. A criminal may tamper with cards displayed in a store, record the numbers and PINs, and wait for the cards to be activated. Inspect a physical gift card for damaged packaging, exposed PIN areas, or other signs of tampering before purchasing it.
Warning Signs
Treat a request as suspicious when someone:
- Requires payment by gift card.
- Asks you to send a card number, PIN, barcode, photograph, or screenshot.
- Claims that gift cards are the only acceptable payment method.
- Pressures you to act immediately or remain on the phone while shopping.
- Tells you to visit multiple stores or buy cards in smaller amounts.
- Promises reimbursement after you make the purchase.
- Asks you to keep the request secret from coworkers, family members, store employees, or your bank.
- Uses a familiar display name but an unfamiliar or external email address.
- Sends an unexpected request that does not match the person's normal role or communication style.
A message can come from a compromised account and still be fraudulent. A familiar name or real email address does not replace independent verification.
How to Protect Yourself
- Do not buy gift cards to satisfy an unexpected payment request. Stop and verify the situation first.
- Contact the person or organization independently. Use a known phone number, official website, directory entry, or a new message addressed to a verified account.
- Never send a gift card number or PIN by email, text, phone, or chat. Anyone with that information may be able to use the card.
- Do not rely on urgency or authority as proof. Supervisors, government agencies, banks, and technical-support providers should allow you to verify a request.
- Inspect physical cards before buying them. Avoid cards with damaged packaging, altered stickers, exposed PINs, or other signs of tampering.
- Keep the card and receipt. They contain information the issuer may need if the card is defective or connected to fraud.
- Talk with someone you trust before sending money. A brief independent review can interrupt the pressure used in these scams.
What You Should Do at UM
A request to buy gift cards and send the card numbers is not a normal UM purchasing or payment process.
If a message appears to come from a UM supervisor, instructor, colleague, department, or leader:
- Do not purchase the cards or reply to the message.
- Verify the request through a separate, trusted method. Start a new email message to the person's verified UM address or call a number from the UM directory.
- Use Outlook's Report Message tool and report the message as phishing. Delete the message after reporting it. The Report Message tool may remove it automatically.
- Contact the UM IT Helpdesk or UM Information Security Office if the request involves a UM account, UM identity, university funds, or a UM business process.
If you purchased cards but have not shared the numbers or PINs, keep the cards and receipts and do not send the information. Contact the retailer or card issuer if you need help determining whether the cards can be returned or otherwise protected.
If you already shared the card information:
- Contact the gift card issuer immediately using the official number printed on the card or the issuer's official website.
- Explain that the card was used in a scam and ask whether the remaining value can be frozen or recovered.
- Keep the card, receipt, messages, and transaction details.
- Contact your bank or card issuer if the purchase itself was unauthorized or involved compromised payment information.
- Notify the UM Information Security Office and the appropriate UM office if the request involved UM funds, a UM employee, or a university process.
Additional Questions
For a gift card request involving a UM account, UM employee, university funds, or UM business process, contact the UM IT Helpdesk and the UM Information Security Office.
For a personal gift card scam, contact the gift card issuer immediately. Contact your bank, credit union, or payment-card issuer as well if you used a compromised account or notice an unauthorized transaction.
Consumer gift card scams can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission.
Additional Resources