If someone tells you to buy an Amazon, Apple, Google Play, or other gift card and share the card number or PIN, stop communicating. The Federal Trade Commission’s gift card guidance says legitimate businesses and government agencies do not demand payment this way. Once a scammer has the number and PIN, the balance can be spent quickly.

The fastest complaint is to the gift card issuer through its official website or the number printed on the card. Then notify the bank, credit card company, or payment service used to buy the card. Report the scam to the FTC and, when it involved a website, online account, email, or social media, to the Internet Crime Complaint Center. A government report helps investigators, but it does not automatically return your money.

This guidance is for U.S. consumers. The outcome can depend on the card terms, the payment method, state law, and how quickly the balance was used.

First moves before the balance disappears

1. Stop sending money or gift card codes. Don’t buy another card to “unlock” a refund, prove your identity, or help an investigator. That is often a second scam.
2. Save the evidence. Keep the receipt, card packaging, emails, texts, phone numbers, screenshots, order details, and a short timeline of what happened.
3. Contact the gift card issuer immediately. Ask whether it can freeze any remaining balance, investigate redemptions, or replace the card.
4. Contact the seller or retailer. This matters most when the card was not delivered, had the wrong value, or appeared tampered with.
5. Notify the bank or payment provider used to buy the card. Credit cards, debit cards, bank transfers, prepaid accounts, and digital wallets follow different dispute rules.
6. Report the scam. Use ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If the scam involved a website, online account, email, or social media, also report it to IC3.
7. Secure related accounts. Change passwords, turn on multifactor authentication, and tell your bank if you shared account credentials or other sensitive information.

The FTC’s guidance on what to do after a scam also recommends contacting the gift card company right away.

Match the complaint to the problem

A gift card complaint can involve several different disputes. Use the route that matches what happened.

Do not describe a purchase as unauthorized if you personally bought the card but were manipulated into doing so. Explain the facts plainly. Misstating what happened can weaken a dispute.

How to file with the gift card issuer

Use the issuer’s official website, mobile app, or customer-service number printed on the card. Don’t use a phone number, email address, or link supplied by the scammer.

Have these details ready:

• Gift card brand and the last four digits, if safe to provide
• Purchase date, location, and amount
• Receipt, order confirmation, or activation record
• Date and time you discovered the problem
• Current balance and any redemption or transaction information
• Screenshots of messages, emails, websites, or social media accounts
• Photos of the card, packaging, barcode, and security seal
• A police, FTC, or IC3 report number, if available

Ask the issuer to:

• Open a fraud or balance investigation
• Freeze any funds that remain
• Provide the relevant redemption or transaction dates
• Explain whether the card can be replaced
• Tell you what documents are required
• Give you a case number and follow-up method

A Visa or Mastercard logo does not necessarily identify the company that controls the card account. For a network-branded prepaid card, the issuer named on the card or its packaging usually handles the complaint. The network logo alone does not create a universal refund or chargeback right.

Describe the loss accurately

State whether you:

• Never authorized the purchase
• Bought the card yourself after a scammer pressured or deceived you
• Shared the code
• Still have possession of the card
• Found that someone redeemed the balance before you could use it

Keep the full card number and PIN private. Provide them only through the issuer’s verified secure process.

When a bank dispute or chargeback may help

A chargeback is a payment dispute handled by a bank or card issuer. It is separate from an FTC report and separate from a request to the gift card company.

Credit card purchases

Call the credit card issuer shown on your statement and ask which dispute process applies. Tell the issuer whether the transaction was truly unauthorized, the card was not delivered, or you authorized the purchase after being deceived.

Credit-card billing-error procedures can have short, statement-based written-notice deadlines. If the issuer asks for a written dispute, use the billing-dispute address and follow its instructions rather than relying only on a phone call. Ask for the applicable deadline and keep proof that you submitted the claim.

A credit card company may treat a purchase you made yourself differently from a transaction made by a thief. A chargeback is not guaranteed merely because the purchase involved a gift card.

Debit card purchases

Report an unauthorized debit transaction to your bank or credit union immediately. Federal electronic-transfer protections can depend on how quickly you report the problem and whether the transaction was actually unauthorized.

If you bought the gift card yourself because of a scam, say so. Ask whether the bank has a scam, merchant-dispute, or card-purchase review process, but don’t assume an authorized payment will be reversed.

Visa or Mastercard prepaid cards

Contact the prepaid card issuer, not just Visa or Mastercard. Ask about its error-resolution and fraud procedures, any deadline, and the documents it needs. Coverage can differ between a general-use prepaid account and a store gift card, so the card’s terms and issuer matter.

PayPal and other digital wallets

Open the transaction directly in the wallet’s official app or website and ask about the available dispute process. Also contact the underlying bank or card issuer if that account funded the purchase.

A wallet dispute and a bank dispute are separate reviews. Neither one guarantees recovery after a gift card code has been redeemed.

Handling Amazon, Apple, and other platform-related scams

Use the platform’s official account support, not a link or number from the suspicious message.

• Amazon: Sign in directly to your Amazon account and report an unauthorized order, missing digital delivery, or gift card problem through account support. Keep the order number and payment record.
• Apple: Contact Apple through its official support channels and preserve the receipt and card information. Apple warns that Apple gift cards are not for taxes, utility bills, government fees, debt collection, or technical-support payments. Its gift card scam guidance lists these demands as warning signs.
• PayPal: Open the transaction from your PayPal account and ask about dispute eligibility. If a credit or debit card funded the transaction, notify that card issuer too.
• Other brands: Find support by typing the company’s official address into your browser or using its verified app. Avoid third-party support numbers from ads or search results.

If a scammer impersonated a friend or relative, contact that person through a separate phone number or account before taking further action. Scammers often hijack social media or email accounts.

Expired, stolen, drained, or tampered gift cards

Expired cards and inactivity fees

Federal rules are a baseline, not a promise that every expired card will be refunded. Under 12 C.F.R. 1005.20, a covered gift card generally cannot have an expiration date earlier than five years after issuance or the last load, whichever is later. The rule also sets conditions for certain inactivity fees, including disclosure requirements.

Some promotional, loyalty, and award cards are treated differently. State laws may provide stronger protections or different rules. The National Conference of State Legislatures’ gift-card law summary is a useful starting point, but check the law and consumer agency for the state where the card was purchased.

Ask the issuer:

• When the card was issued or last loaded
• What expiration date and fee disclosures applied
• Whether any funds remain
• Whether the card can be replaced if the plastic expired before the funds
• Whether a state-law exception or remedy applies

Lost or stolen cards

A lost physical card may be treated differently from a card whose number was stolen. The issuer may require proof of purchase, registration, or the original card number. Report the loss immediately and ask what evidence it accepts. Don’t assume a refund is automatic.

Tampered packaging or a zero balance

Photograph the packaging before discarding it. Save the receipt and identify the store, register, date, and card amount. Ask both the retailer and issuer to investigate whether the card was altered, activated improperly, or redeemed before purchase.

Non-delivery or an incorrect amount

Start with the seller or marketplace and save the promised delivery date, order confirmation, and support messages. If the seller doesn’t resolve the issue, contact the payment provider about its dispute process. The appropriate remedy depends on the seller’s terms and the payment rail; an FTC fraud report alone won’t compel delivery or a refund.

Where to report a gift card scam

Use more than one channel when appropriate, but understand what each one can do.

You can submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau when the company involved is a covered bank, prepaid-account provider, or other financial firm. A retailer-only dispute may belong with the retailer, state attorney general, or another agency instead.

If the scam involved an online account, report it to IC3 even if the money is gone. If your identity, bank account, or physical property was also affected, contact local law enforcement and the relevant financial institution.

Evidence checklist for a stronger complaint

Create one folder containing:

• A short timeline with dates, times, names, and phone numbers
• Original receipts and activation records
• Bank or card statements showing the payment
• Screenshots and downloaded copies of messages
• Email headers or the full sender details when available
• Photos of packaging and security seals
• Official balance checks and transaction history
• Copies of every complaint and response
• Case numbers and the names of support representatives
• Proof of when you reported the problem

Redact unrelated account numbers and never post a gift card PIN publicly. Keep the original files in case a bank, issuer, or law enforcement agency requests them.

Complaint letter templates

Gift card issuer request

Subject: Request for gift card fraud investigation

Hello,

I am requesting an investigation of a problem involving a [brand] gift card.

Purchase date: [date]
Purchase location or order number: [details]
Card value: [amount]
Last four digits: [digits]
Problem discovered: [explain what happened]
Date I contacted the issuer: [date]

Please confirm whether any remaining balance can be frozen, whether the redemption history can be reviewed, and whether the card is eligible for replacement or a refund under your policy. Please provide a case number and tell me what additional documents you need.

Attached are my receipt, screenshots, and photographs of the card or packaging.

Name:
Phone:
Email:

Bank or card issuer request

Subject: Request for payment dispute instructions

Hello,

I am reporting a gift card-related transaction dated [date] for [amount] at [merchant].

The transaction was [not authorized by me / authorized by me after I was deceived by a scammer]. I have contacted the gift card company and received case number [number], if available.

Please explain whether your unauthorized-transaction, billing-error, or merchant-dispute process applies. Please also provide the required deadline, submission method, and documents.

Name:
Account or statement reference:
Phone:

Use the second template honestly. Calling an authorized purchase unauthorized can create a separate problem and may cause the claim to be rejected.

If the issuer or bank denies the claim

Ask for the decision in writing and request:

• The reason for the denial
• The policy or rule relied on
• The transaction dates and evidence considered
• The appeal or reconsideration process
• The deadline for submitting additional documents

Follow up in writing after the promised response date passes. If the company is a covered financial institution, consider a CFPB complaint. For a retailer or state-law issue, contact your state attorney general. The BBB can be an optional, nonbinding business complaint channel, but it isn’t a government agency.

Don’t pay a person who promises to recover gift-card funds for an upfront fee. Scammers frequently target victims again by claiming to be investigators, lawyers, or recovery specialists.

Common questions

Can the FTC refund my gift card money?

No. The FTC collects reports and uses them to identify scams and support enforcement. Your refund or balance request must go to the gift card issuer, seller, bank, card issuer, or payment service involved.

Does a Visa or Mastercard logo guarantee a chargeback?

No. The logo identifies a payment network, not a universal refund right. The card issuer and payment method determine which dispute process may apply.

What if I willingly bought the card because of a scam?

Report it anyway and describe exactly what you authorized and what the scammer told you. The gift card issuer or bank may review the facts, but an authorized purchase may not receive the same treatment as a stolen-card transaction.

Can an expired gift card be refunded?

Possibly, but not automatically. Check the federal expiration and fee rules, the card’s disclosures, state law, and the issuer’s policy. Ask for a remaining-balance review or replacement before assuming the funds are lost.

What should I do if the scammer still has my personal information?

Change affected passwords, enable multifactor authentication, notify your bank, and monitor accounts for unauthorized activity. If financial-account or identity information was exposed, report that part of the incident separately rather than treating it only as a gift card complaint.

Write the timeline now, locate the receipt or activation record, and contact the gift card issuer through an official channel. Speed, accurate descriptions, and complete records give the complaint its best chance of being reviewed.