Scammers say they’re from your utility company.

And did you even enter to win that prize? No honest business or agency will ever make you buy a gift card to pay them for a prize. But first, they tell you to pay fees or other charges with a gift card. If you’re worried, contact the friend or relative to check that everything is all right.

They ask you to send money right away - but not tell anyone. If the scammer uses voice cloning, they may even sound just like your loved one. Scammers say they’re a friend or family member with an emergency.They ask for remote access, and say to pay them to get it fixed. They say they’re from Microsoft or Apple and there’s something wrong with your computer. Scammers say they’re from tech support.But government agencies won’t contact you to demand immediate payment, and they never demand payment by gift card. They say you have to pay taxes or a fine. Scammers say they’re from the government. They say they’re from the IRS, the Social Security Administration, or even the FTC.Scammers tell different stories to get you to buy gift cards so they can steal your money. Don’t give them those numbers or send them a photo of the card. The card number and PIN on the back of the card let the scammer get the money you loaded onto the card - even if you still have the card itself. Scammers will ask you for the gift card number and PIN.The scammer also might stay on the phone with you while you go to the store and load money onto the card. Sometimes they’ll tell you to buy cards at several stores, so cashiers won’t get suspicious. They might send you to a specific store - often Walmart, Target, CVS, or Walgreens. They might say to put money on an eBay, Google Play, Target, or Apple gift card.

Scammers will tell you which gift card to buy (and where).They don’t want you to have time to think about what they’re saying or talk to someone you trust. They will say to pay them right away or something terrible will happen. Here are some common tactics scammers use in gift card scams: Scammers will say almost anything to get you to buy gift cards - like Google Play, Apple, or Amazon cards - and hand over the card number and PIN codes. Gift card scams start with a call, text, email, or social media message. What To Do If You Gave a Gift Card to a Scammer.Identity Theft and Online Security Show/hide Identity Theft and Online Security menu items.Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts Show/hide Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts menu items.Money-Making Opportunities and Investments.Jobs and Making Money Show/hide Jobs and Making Money menu items.Credit, Loans, and Debt Show/hide Credit, Loans, and Debt menu items.Shopping and Donating Show/hide Shopping and Donating menu items.

Google play card scratched off