I Paid a Scammer With Gift Cards: What to Do Now

Bought gift cards and gave the numbers to someone who turned out to be a scammer? Call the gift card company now. Money still on a card can sometimes be frozen, and the FTC says the sooner you report, the better chance you’ll get your money back. Here’s who to call, what to say, where to report it, and how to avoid a second scam.

1. Call the gift card company now

Call the company that issued the card. Use the number on the back of the card (FTC) or the contacts in the table below, never a number the scammer gave you.

What to say. The FTC’s advice: tell the company a scammer tricked you into giving them the card number and PIN, and ask them to refund your money. Also ask whether any money is still on the card and whether they can freeze it. You could say:

“I bought a (brand) gift card for $(amount) at (store) on (date). A scammer tricked me into giving them the card number and PIN. Is any money still on it? Can you freeze it and refund me?”

Write down the date, the name of the person you spoke with, and any claim number.

Report it even if time has passed. The FTC says to report it no matter how long ago the scam happened.

Who to call

These contacts come from the FTC’s list of how to contact gift card companies, as it appeared on September 24, 2026.

Card	How to report the scam	Company page
Amazon	Call 1 (888) 280-4331	Gift card scams
American Express	Call 1 (877) 297-4438	Gift card scams
Apple or iTunes	Call 1 (800) 275-2273 and say “gift cards” when prompted	Gift card scams
Best Buy	Call 1 (888) 237-8289	Protect yourself
eBay	Chat with eBay customer support or ask for a call back	Gift card scams
Google Play	Report it to Google through its help page. No Google account? Use this form	Scam help page
MoneyPak	Submit a fraud claim online	Fraud help
Sephora	Call 1 (877) 737-4672	Scam awareness
Steam	Report it through Steam Support	Steam Wallet help
Target	Call 1 (800) 544-2943	Security and fraud
Vanilla	Call 1 (833) 322-6760	None on the FTC list
Visa	Call 1 (800) 847-2911	Gift card help
Walmart	Call 1 (888) 537-5503	Fraud alerts

• Visa gift cards: Visa’s own help page says to report a lost or stolen card to the card issuer, at the toll-free number on the issuer’s website or in the card’s paperwork.
• Seven of these companies show the same number on their own sites: American Express, Apple, Best Buy, Sephora, Target, Visa and Walmart.
• Card not on the list? Look for the company’s contact information on the card itself, or look up how to reach the card issuer. If you can’t find it, or the issuer won’t talk to you, report it to the FTC (FTC).

Why speed matters

• Scammers spend fast. Amazon warns that once a scammer has a card’s code, the money will likely be spent before you can reach Amazon or the police.
• Money still on the card may be saved. Apple and Google can freeze money that’s still on their cards, the FTC says. For a lost, stolen or misused gift card, American Express says it replaces whatever balance is left when you report it, but not money spent before you called.
• Money that’s been moved may be gone. Green Dot, which runs MoneyPak, says it tries to recover funds but can’t refund money that’s already been transferred.

2. Keep the card and the receipt

Keep the gift card and the store receipt. You may need them to follow up on your claim, the FTC says. A photo of each on your phone is a good backup (FTC).

Companies use them to check your claim. eBay says it needs the card and receipt to verify the card. Google’s scam form asks for the redemption code and a picture of the card. MoneyPak requires proof of purchase.

Save the scammer’s phone numbers, email addresses, texts, and any website or profile links, too. The FBI asks for those details when you file with IC3.

3. Stop contact and don’t send more

• Hang up and stop replying. Social Security’s advice for scam victims: stop talking to the scammer and block their phone number or email address.
• Don’t buy more cards or share more numbers, no matter what the caller promises or threatens. Scammers rush you so you don’t have time to think or talk to someone you trust.
• Protect cards you still have. The number and PIN let a scammer take the money even if you still have the card, so don’t send anyone a photo of it either. Steam says activated Steam cards that haven’t been redeemed are normally refundable at the store’s customer service desk. For other brands, ask the card company.

And remember what Social Security tells scam victims: “Criminal behavior is not your fault.”

4. If they also got personal information or into your devices

If the scammer got more than the card numbers, such as remote access during a fake tech support call, follow the FTC’s steps in What To Do if You Were Scammed:

• They got into your computer or phone: update your security software, run a scan and delete anything it flags. Change your passwords and turn on two-factor authentication. Full steps: I let a scammer into my computer.
• They got a password: create a new, strong password for that account, change it anywhere else you used it, and turn on two-factor authentication.
• They got your Social Security number: if they used it, report it at IdentityTheft.gov and get a recovery plan. If they didn’t, or you aren’t sure, go to IdentityTheft.gov/databreach. See also I gave a scammer my Social Security number and how to freeze your credit.
• They got your bank or card details: call your bank or card issuer, using the number on the back of your card. Federal law protects you from unauthorized use of your credit and debit cards, the FTC notes.

Not sure what applies? The scam recovery checklist builds a step-by-step list for your situation.

Signs it was a gift card scam

“No real business or government agency will ever tell you to buy a gift card to pay them,” the FTC says. Only scammers ask for the numbers off the back. The CFPB adds that real government agencies and banks don’t tell you to buy gift cards to send money.

Common stories (from the FTC unless noted):

• The government. A caller claims to be from the IRS, Social Security or even the FTC and says you owe taxes or a fine. The IRS never asks for or accepts gift cards for a tax bill, and Social Security says scammers insist on gift cards because they’re hard to trace.
• Tech support. “Microsoft” or “Apple” says your computer has a problem, asks for remote access and wants payment to fix it.
• A family emergency. A “relative” needs money now and asks you to keep it secret. A cloned voice can sound just like your loved one. See grandparent scams and AI voice clones.
• Your boss. A text or email asks for an “urgent favor”: buy gift cards and send the numbers, sometimes called “Google certificates” (FTC).
• Other stories: a utility threatening to cut off your service, a romance from a dating site, a prize that comes with fees, or a check for too much with a request to send back the difference on gift cards. That check is fake.

The tactics repeat: pressure to pay right away, orders about which card to buy and where, a caller who stays on the phone while you shop, and a demand for the number and PIN or a photo of the card (FTC).

Can I get my money back?

Maybe. It depends on the company and on whether money is still on the card. Some gift card companies are helping stop these scams and might give your money back, the FTC says, so it’s worth asking.

Be realistic, though:

• Gift cards work like cash. That’s why scammers want them: once you pay, it’s hard to get your money back, the FTC says.
• They have fewer federal protections. Federal law protects you from unauthorized use of your credit and debit cards (FTC). Gift cards typically don’t get the protections of the CFPB’s prepaid card rule, which covers errors and unauthorized charges on registered prepaid cards. So a refund usually comes down to the card company’s own rules.
• Policies differ. Google says Google Play gift cards can’t be refunded unless the law requires it. American Express and Green Dot, as noted above, can only help with money that hasn’t been spent or moved.
• No one can promise. Government agencies and legitimate organizations won’t guarantee you’ll get your money back. Treat anyone who does as a scammer.

How to report it

After you call the card company, report the scam. The FTC uses reports to build cases against scammers, spot trends and educate the public.

1. FTC: Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. “Every report makes a difference,” the FTC says.
2. FBI: If any part of the scam happened online, such as email, social media, a dating site, a website or an app, also file at IC3.gov. Type www.ic3.gov into your browser; IC3 says “sponsored” search results are usually paid imitators. IC3 doesn’t investigate cases itself, and you won’t hear back from it.
3. Local police: Google, Steam, Walmart and Green Dot all tell scam victims to file a police report. Use your police or sheriff’s nonemergency number or website (CFPB), and ask for a report number.
4. Your state attorney general: Find your office on the National Association of Attorneys General site (CFPB).
5. The agency the scammer pretended to be: For the IRS, call the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484 (IRS). For Social Security, report it at oig.ssa.gov/report (SSA).
6. 60 or older, or helping someone who is? Call the Justice Department’s National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311), Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern. A case manager helps you report the crime, in English, Spanish and other languages (Office for Victims of Crime, IC3).

For other kinds of scams, the report-a-scam tool lists the official channels.

Watch for the follow-up scam

The FTC calls refund and recovery scams “the worst of the worst.” Scammers buy, sell and trade lists of people who have already lost money (FTC). Be on guard if someone:

• offers to get your money back for an upfront fee, a “retainer,” a “processing fee” or a “tax”;
• says they’re from a government agency, a consumer group, a law firm, or even the company that took your money;
• asks for your Social Security or bank account number “to deposit your refund”;
• insists you pay with gift cards, cryptocurrency, a wire transfer or a payment app. Only scammers do that;
• sends a refund check for more than you lost and asks you to send back the difference. The FTC says that’s always a scam;
• says they’re from the FBI’s IC3. IC3 never contacts people directly by phone, email, social media, apps or online chat, has no social media presence, and never asks for payment to recover money (IC3).

Government agencies and legitimate organizations never ask for money to help you get a refund (FTC).

What varies

• The card company. Each one sets its own process. Some may refund you; others say they can’t.
• Timing. How much is still on the card when you report it can change what the company can do.
• The list itself. The FTC last updated its contact list in July 2023, and card programs change: Steam, for one, is phasing out its physical gift cards in stores and expects retailers to run out by the end of 2026 (Steam). If a number doesn’t work, use the one on the back of your card.