CLEVELAND, Ohio — As the holiday shopping season picks up, remember to keep your guard up against scams.
More people reported gift card fraud to the Better Business Bureau's Scam Tracker this year, with a 50% increase compared to 2022.
Online shoppers are being targeted the most, with sellers asking for payment in gift cards rather than traditional methods.
"If you're asked to pay, your best way to go about that is to use your credit card," said Ericka Dilworth, Director of Operations at the BBB serving Greater Cleveland.
"If a person is not wanting you to use your credit card, then that should be a huge red flag for you."
Dilworth said once you provide numbers from the back of a gift card to someone, they can access the money on the card and it can be difficult to trace.
"The moment you suspect that has happened, you need to reach out to whomever you bought the gift card from," said Dilworth.
"There are some instances where we've heard that they can reverse it, but it has to happen very quickly. If it's a couple of days, you really are probably out of luck."
If you suspect a scam, report it to theBBB, the FTC and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
