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How much do you know about gift cards and scams?

Take this quiz to see if you are scam savvy

AARP Staff

En español

Published April 01, 2022

/ Updated March 13, 2024

8 Questions

9b37a0c2-8c31-402b-9c67-d1ae89911595

How much do you know about gift cards and scams?

[ {
 "question" : "Legitimate uses for gift cards include:\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Paying the IRS for taxes due",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Paying the Social Security Administration to get larger benefit checks",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Bailing a favorite grandchild out of jail",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Sending a birthday present to a friend or relative",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Gift cards are for gifts, not for payments. Anyone who demands to be paid with a gift card is a scammer, federal officials warn.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "Why do scammers like gift cards as a form of payment?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "They’re readily available.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "They’re virtually untraceable.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "They’re easily converted to cash or bitcoin. ",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "All of the above",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Gift cards are a convenient form of payment that is hard to trace and can easily be turned into cash.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "How much money did fraud victims report losing to criminals in 2023 by buying gift cards, or reload cards such as Green Dot, in scams?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "$39 million ",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "$188 million",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "$217 million",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "$1.1 billion",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "The figure is from the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "Electronic vouchers can be purchased at stores to make a quick payment to settle a debt or pay a fee.\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Yes",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "No",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Criminals frequently refer to gift cards as “electronic vouchers” in their request for payment in a scam.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "Yes or no: Gift card issuers are required by law to refund money to a fraud victim who gave away gift-card redemption code numbers to a criminal, but only if a police report is filed.\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Yes",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "No",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Criminals drain the value of gift cards quickly, so merchants often say there are no funds left to return to victims.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "AARP’s Fraud Watch Network helpline has heard from people who bought gift cards because scammers pretended to be:\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "A pastor, rabbi or other religious leader",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "A suitor looking for love on an online dating platform",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "A bank official preventing fraudulent charges on a credit card from being processed",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "All the above",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "You can call the helpline at 877-908-3360 for support and information if you or a loved one have experienced a scam.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "What is “gift card draining”?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "When criminals steal gift cards from store racks and activate them with special tech ",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "When criminals steal gift cards, record their numbers, replace them and take the money when the card is purchased and activated",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "When criminals buy gift cards and increase the stored amount digitally before using them",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "When criminals resell gift cards online, after using all or most of the money on them, for more than they are worth",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Officials across the country have issued warnings about these thefts.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "What is a good way to protect yourself from gift card scams?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Never give out gift card numbers to anyone over the phone.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Be wary of offers of free or discounted gift cards online.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Check a gift card’s balance as soon as you purchase it.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "All of the above",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Only purchase gift cards from trusted sources, for people you know.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
} ]

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How much do you know about gift cards and scams?

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