Fraud & Scam Awareness
Gift card scams are common
Only buy a gift card for yourself or someone you personally know and trust. No bank, government department, utility company, employer or support agent should ever ask you to pay using gift cards.
Common gift card scams
- Someone claiming to be from a bank, HMRC, a utility company or a government department asks you to pay a fine, bill or fee using gift cards.
- Someone you’ve met online, but never in person, asks you to buy gift cards to help them.
- A caller claiming to be tech support asks you to buy a gift card to “fix” your computer.
- A message says you’ve won a prize or lottery, but you need to send a gift card code to claim it.
Warning signs to look out for
- Pressure to act urgently or keep the payment secret.
- Being asked for the gift card code or activation link itself, rather than proof of purchase.
- Being asked to buy several gift cards, or high-value gift cards.
- Contact from someone you have never met in person.
What Gift Card Street will never do
We will never call, email or message you asking you to buy a gift card to pay us, and we will never ask you for a gift card code or activation link over the phone or by email.
If you think you’ve been scammed
- Contact the retailer or brand who issued the gift card as soon as possible — they may be able to freeze the balance if it hasn’t been spent.
- If you paid by card, contact your bank or card provider.
- Report it to your local police, or the UK’s national fraud reporting centre, Action Fraud.
Report a suspicious request
If someone has asked you to pay using a Gift Card Street gift card, or you’re not sure whether a request is genuine, contact us before you buy or send anything.