Gift Card Scams Warning to Hampshire Residents Ahead of Festive Season

Hampshire Police are urging residents to stay vigilant after a fraud awareness alert from the county’s Fraud Safeguarding Team highlighted a rise in gift card-related scams as people begin shopping for Christmas.

In the warning, officers say that criminals are using a range of tactics to turn legitimate gift cards into easy cash. Common scams include:
• Emails or messages that appear to be from friends, relatives, or employers asking recipients to buy and send gift cards.
• Fraudsters pre-registering cards so funds are diverted before a genuine buyer can redeem them.
• Bogus “mystery shopper” or employment schemes that require participants to buy gift cards.
• Romance or online contact scams in which offenders request gift cards to cover travel or other fabricated expenses.

The Force is encouraging people to “Stop. Think Fraud.” before purchasing or sending gift cards, money, or valuables — reminding everyone to pause and verify requests, even if they appear to come from someone familiar.

Practical steps include:
• Treat unexpected requests for gift cards with suspicion, and verify them by contacting the person or organisation through a known, separate channel.
• Report phishing emails to the national phishing team by forwarding suspicious messages to report@phishing.gov.uk.
• Forward unwanted scam texts or phone numbers to 7726 (the free UK reporting service).
• If you realise you have been scammed, report the incident to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or via their website, and seek free, confidential support from the Victim Care Hub on 0808 178 1641 or via their website.
• To report anonymously, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit their website.
• If a crime is in progress or there is immediate danger, call 999.

Residents can find further consumer guidance on how scammers use gift cards in their schemes by visiting the Hampshire Police and Victim Care Hub websites.

The Fraud Safeguarding Team is urging anyone who believes they may have been targeted to act quickly and use the reporting and support channels provided to limit harm and help investigators catch offenders.