Gift Cards as Payment Are Always a Scam

No government agency, no utility company, no legitimate business will ever ask you to pay with gift cards. Not the IRS, not the police, not a tech company, not a court. If someone asks you to buy gift cards and read the numbers over the phone, it is a scam. Every single time, no exceptions.

Gift cards are a favorite of scammers because they are untraceable and irreversible. Once you read the numbers, the money is gone. If someone pressures you to pay this way — especially with urgency or threats — stop, hang up, and tell someone you trust. The shame of almost falling for it is far smaller than the cost of going through with it.