Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is warning consumers across the state to stay on alert for gift card scams, as fraud reports typically spike during the holiday season and into January when many people begin redeeming cards they received as gifts. Carr is joining attorneys general from other states in a public awareness push aimed at stopping criminals who steal gift card numbers, drain balances, and target victims through phone calls, texts, emails, and social media messages demanding payment in gift cards.

The Attorney General’s office says scammers often work in two main ways. One involves tampering with gift cards in stores — copying card numbers and PINs from packages on the rack, then putting them back so the card looks normal. Once the card is purchased and activated at checkout, criminals can quickly use the stolen information to drain the balance before the buyer or recipient ever gets a chance to spend it. The other common method is impersonation and pressure, where scammers pretend to be a government agency, utility company, tech support, a bank, or even a family member in trouble, then insist the victim must pay immediately using gift cards and share the codes over the phone or by text.

Officials emphasize a key warning sign: no legitimate business or government agency will ever require payment by gift card. The Attorney General’s office also cautions shoppers to look closely at packaging before buying — avoiding cards with torn backing, exposed PIN areas, scratches, or signs a sticker has been peeled and replaced. Consumers are encouraged to buy gift cards from secure displays when possible, keep the receipt, and redeem the card as soon as practical. If a card’s balance is missing or a consumer believes they’ve been targeted, officials recommend reporting it quickly to the card issuer or retailer, and filing a complaint with consumer protection authorities so patterns can be tracked and cases can be built against organized fraud networks.