The 7 Most Common Amazon Gift Card Scams

Since it’s the world’s most popular place to shop online, Amazon is also a hotbed for scammer activity. Many scammers try to trick people by posing as Amazon workers or trying to break into their Amazon accounts, and many make use of Amazon gift cards scams as part of their schemes.

Here are some of the most common Amazon gift card scams to watch out for.

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Family Emergencies

The way this Amazon gift card scam works is simple: you’ll get an email or message seeming to be from a friend or family member (or someone speaking on their behalf, even sometimes pretending to be a police officer or lawyer).

They’ll say that there’s a family emergency of some kind. They might say it’s the birthday of a loved one who is suffering from a terrible illness and they need you to send an Amazon gift card so they can buy that person a gift. The story is completely made-up to tug on the heartstrings of the victim.

Overpayment

Another type of Amazon gift card scam is when scammers pretend or claim to have sent you too much money (often claiming that this is part of some sort of refund or reward you’re owed). Then, they say you need to pay them the excess back in the form of gift cards.

Boss

The “Boss” gift card scam is when you get a message that seems to be from the boss of your company, or a manager at work, asking you to buy Amazon gift cards on their behalf. You should always verify anything like this in-person or over the phone.

Blackmail or Sextortion

In these situations a scammer will gain your confidence somehow, like pretending to be a trusted friend or even developing a romantic connection with you. They’ll usually try to get something from you that they can use against you, too, like personal info or even explicit photographs.

They’ll then blackmail you, ordering you to buy Amazon gift cards for them, with the threat of leaking your info or photos, if you fail to comply.

Customer Service

Some scammers even pose as Amazon customer service workers. They might say that your account has been hacked, for example, or “frozen” and that you have to buy a gift card to unfreeze and regain access to your account.

Job Offers

There are even scams in which people claim they’re offering you a job – usually one that sounds too good to be true, offering many incentives and comforts (like the option to work from home). They’ll then say you have to buy some sort of software or starter kit using an Amazon gift card.

Free Gift Cards

This one’s a little different. You might get an email that seems to have come from Amazon, claiming you’ve won a free gift card and inviting you to click a link to accept it. The link is usually a “phishing” link that exists simply to steal your info and get access to your account.

Red Flags You Shouldn’t Ignore

Claims That Don’t Add Up

Many Amazon gift card scams are based on lies and false claims. If there’s something that seems strange about the story, then be wary. For example, it might seem odd for you to suddenly get a message from your boss or some distant relative randomly asking you to buy gift cards for them.

Sense of Urgency

Often, scammers try to get their victims to act fast by instilling a sense of urgency. They’ll say you have to buy the gift cards as soon as possible because it’s an emergency. This is designed to get you to panic and simply do what they say, without having time to question it.

Typos, Mistakes, or Other Inconsistencies

Scammers sometimes rush through their messages or don’t necessarily have the best grasp of English so their messages may contain mistakes. Look for typos or grammatical inconsistencies, especially in emails that claim to be from Amazon customer service workers or tech support agents.

How to Stay Safe From Amazon Gift Card Scams in 2024

Don’t buy any gift cards for anyone without speaking with them directly to confirm the situation.
Don’t click on any random links in emails you get, even ones that seem to be from Amazon.
Never accept to pay any person or business in gift cards.