Fraud & Scam Awareness

At Hotelgiftcard, your safety comes first. Scammers sometimes try to trick people into using gift cards or giving away personal information. Here’s how to spot the warning signs and protect yourself.

1. Gift Card Scams, Stop and Think
Stop and think: Never purchase gift cards at someone else’s request to pay for taxes, bail, or other fees. No legitimate business or government agency will ever demand payment via gift cards.

Common scams include:

• Tax or government scams: someone claims you owe money to the tax office or a government agency.
• Tech support scams: someone pretends to be from a well-known tech company and asks for payment to “fix” your computer.
• Romance scams: someone you met online asks for gift cards to help with “emergencies” or travel.
• Grandparent scams: someone pretends to be a relative in urgent need of money.
• Online shopping scams: fake sellers demand payment in gift cards.
• Employment scams: job offers that require “training” or “equipment” paid for with gift cards.

If you’re unsure, contact us before completing your order.

2. Phishing, Don’t Get Caught
Phishing is when scammers pretend to be a trusted company (like us, your bank, or a delivery service) to steal your personal information.

How it works:

1. You get a message that looks real, but it’s from a scammer.
2. It asks you to click a link to confirm your account, fix a problem, or claim a prize.
3. The link takes you to a fake site where they ask for your login details or payment info.
4. Once they have your details, scammers can take over your account or use stolen credit card information.

Vishing
Phone-based phishing where scammers pretend to be your bank or a trusted retailer, asking you to “verify” personal details like your PIN. Never share sensitive information over an unsolicited call. If unsure, hang up and call the company back using a trusted number from their official sources.

Smishing
Like phishing, but via SMS/text messages. A scammer might send you a message claiming you’ve won a free gift card. Remember: you can’t win a contest you never entered.

How to protect yourself:

• Never provide personal information in response to an unsolicited request, whether it is over the phone or internet.
• Check the sender and make sure emails, phone numbers, or messages are from the real company.
• Do not respond to suspicious emails, ads, websites, automated calls, or text messages.
• We will never ask for your password or full payment details by email, phone, or text.
• Enable two-factor authentication where possible.

3. What to do if you suspect fraud

• Gift cards: Do not buy them if someone else asked you to buy them, do not send cardcodes and pincodes to anyone else.
• Account takeover: Change your password right away.

• Report scams:

  Federal: ReportFraud.ftc.gov

  State help:

  Delaware DOJ Consumer Protection Unit: 1‑800‑220‑5424

  Maryland Consumer Protection Division: 410‑528‑8662 or 1‑888‑743‑0023

  Nebraska AG Consumer Affairs: 402s‑471‑2682 or 1‑800‑727‑6432

  New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs: 1‑800‑242‑5846 (or 973‑504‑6200)

  New York State Division of Consumer Protection: 1‑800‑697‑1220

  Rhode Island AG Consumer Protection: 401‑274‑4400

• Contact us: [email protected]

4. Why Acting Quickly Matters in the US
Gift card funds can be spent almost instantly, and once redeemed, they are very difficult to trace or recover. In most cases, the money is gone for good.

That’s why it’s critical to:

• Contact us immediately if you suspect fraud or unauthorized use.
• Keep your gift card and receipt as proof of purchase.
• File a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and your local police department.
• If you paid with a credit card to buy the gift card, contact your card issuer to see if a chargeback is possible.

Remember:
Your best defense is to stay alert. If something feels off, trust your instincts and double-check before taking action.