Missouri's attorney general is warning about scammers targeting consumers through deceptive and high-pressure gift card schemes.
Catherine Hanaway said millions of dollars are lost to gift card fraud every year.
The Federal Trade Commission released data in March showing that consumers reported losing more than $12.5 million to fraud in 2024, a 25% increase over the previous year.
Scammers often use fear, urgency and impersonation tactics to trick victims into sending gift cards from places like Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Google Play, Apple or Amazon. They then demand the card number and PIN. Once the scammer has the code, the money is gone.
Hanaway said no legitimate organization will ever demand payment by gift card.
If you've already purchased a gift card and given the information, you should report the scam to the gift card company immediately. Hanaway said some retailers have begun offering support to victims when fraud is caught quickly.
Anyone who believes they've been a victim should call the attorney general's consumer protection hotline at 800-392-8222 or file a complaint online at ago.mo.gov.
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