Prepaid Card Scams - Do (2024)

Be aware that scammers see prepaid cards as a new way to steal your money. Prepaid cards are good tools for scammers to use because:

• Prepaid cards are hard to trace.

• No photo identification is needed to use a card.

• One card can be loaded with thousands of dollars.

• Transactions are easy and quick.
  

How to protect your prepaid cards:

• Never give anyone the serial number on a card, especially over the phone.
  

• Don’t send prepaid cards through the mail.
  

• Never give anyone the receipt from something you bought with a prepaid card.
  

• If you are buying online, and someone tells you to pay with a specific prepaid card, make sure that the seller is approved by the card company. You will find that information on the card’s website, which is often listed on the back.
  

• If anyone calls and tells you that you must use your card to pay an unpaid bill, it is a scam. Hang up immediately. If you think you may have an unpaid bill, call the company directly to confirm.