BBB Investigation: Gift card scam reports rose by 50% in 2023

Today's scammers want gift cards as payment, leaving those unaware of this tactic vulnerable to schemes designed to commit fraud. Better Business Bureau (BBB) research shows fraud reports to BBB Scam Tracker involving gift cards as a form of payment spiked in the first three quarters of 2023, up 50% from the same period the year prior. Scammers have doubled down on gift cards as a method to steal money from consumers – especially online shoppers – leading retailers to implement new fraud prevention solutions in response.