And those gift card companies want to give that money back," the FTC said in its blog post. Here are steps, highlighted by the agency, that consumers should take if they suspect they have been conned.

Report the gift card scam to the gift card company right away. No matter how long ago the scam happened, report it. Use the How To Contact Gift Card Companies list below.

Gift cards are more vulnerable to bad actors than some expect. There are ways that consumers can fight back against the gift card-draining scams that are out there.

About 26% of people reported being surprised to learn that they gave away or received a gift card with a zero balance, zip, not a dollar left on it, according to an AARP survey. That's up from 21% ...

Shoppers planned to buy three to four gift cards, spending about $50 per card, the group said, boosting total gift-card spending in 2023 to $29.3 billion, up from $28.6 billion last year.

I f you plan to purchase a gift card in the near future, beware: Scammers are now using them to swipe your money. A study by ...

If someone believes a gift card they have bought or received has been manipulated, Grevious says they should contact the issuer of the gift card as soon as possible, rather than the store it was ...