Gift cards are for gifts, not for payments. As soon as someone tells you to pay them with a gift card, that’s a scam. Gift cards are popular with scammers because they’re easy for people to find and buy. They also have fewer protections for buyers compared to some other payment options. They’re more like cash: once you use a gift card, the money on it is gone.

Scams and fraud can have an obvious effect on finances. You might lose money you were saving for retirement, planning to pass down to family members, or using for daily needs like paying bills or grocery purchases. Those financial losses can reduce your sense of well-being and lead to issues such as insomnia, loss of appetite, depression, anxiety, and relationship difficulties.