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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

Updated March 13, 2024

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" : ""
} ]

Quiz Progress

0 Correct

0 Incorrect