A mailed demand for gift-card codes is a scam

A demand to buy gift cards and send their numbers or PINs to pay a bill, government agency or fee is a scam. The FTC says legitimate businesses and agencies do not demand this payment method. Do not buy cards or send codes. This is different from using a gift card normally at the merchant that accepts it.

By Junk Mail Magic. Updated October 2, 2026.

Record the demand

Write down what the mailing says you owe, who it says to pay, how to pay, and any deadline, threat or reward it mentions.
Don't buy cards, reveal codes or send photos of card numbers. Keep anything that came with the mailing as it arrived.
If the letter names an agency, bank or company you deal with, contact that organization through a number or website you already know. Don't use the contact details printed on the letter.
For a claimed federal tax obligation, contact the IRS through its official resources. For a state tax claim, use the relevant state tax agency’s verified contact. Verify any real account obligation separately from the fraudulent payment demand.

If you already paid

If you already shared card numbers, contact the gift-card issuer promptly using its verified instructions and ask whether it can recover the money. Keep the card, receipt, mailer and any messages. A refund is not guaranteed, but the issuer needs those records to assess the report.

Do not pay another fee to release a refund. The organization named in the letter may have been impersonated; record what the mailer claimed without assuming that organization sent it.

Payment-demand record

Example for your own use. Replace the bracketed details and review what you share.

Sender name and address as printed: [sender name and address] Date on mailing: [date] Payment method requested: [gift card type or code request] Amount and recipient named: [amount], [recipient] Reason or threat stated: [reason or threat] Organization it claims to represent: [organization] Independent contact I used and date: [contact route], [date] Response received: [response] Paid anything: [yes / no] Original stored at: [location]

Choose a report route

Report the scam through ReportFraud.ftc.gov and, for suspected mail fraud, the USPIS reporting route. Keep any reference number with the original materials. A report documents the suspected conduct; it does not replace contacting the payment company about money already sent.

Official sources

Preserve a mailer after you paid a suspected scam Choose between mail-fraud and delivery support routes Verify a letter that claims to come from the IRS Check a mailed prize notice that asks for a fee Suspicious mail All practical mail guides

Keep personal records with the organization that handles them

Junk Mail Magic is for ordinary unwanted advertising. Use the official contact route in this guide for records, account changes or someone else’s correspondence.

Compare removal routes