Why every gift-card demand is a scam
No real company, agency, or court takes payment in gift cards. That single sentence defeats a whole industry of fraud.
The rule
Nobody legitimate is ever paid in gift cards. Not the IRS, not your utility, not Microsoft, not a court, not a grandchild's lawyer. The moment a caller says "go buy gift cards and read me the numbers," the call is a scam — whatever came before it.
Why scammers love them
Reading the numbers off the back hands over cash that cannot be traced or reversed. Wire transfers and crypto ATMs work the same way — instant, gone.
If you already bought or read cards
- Call the gift-card company's fraud line right now with the card and receipt — occasionally an unspent balance can be frozen.
- Keep the cards and receipts as evidence.
- Report at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and to the Indiana Attorney General at 1-800-382-5516.
- Be kind to yourself. These scripts are engineered by professionals to cause panic — falling for one is not stupidity.
Not sure how exposed you are? Our free check shows which leaks your email is in — about one second, and you keep the answer. And if you are in the middle of something right now, a person answers at contact@protectindiana.org.