Crypto Gift Card Scams On the Rise: What You Need to Know to Protect Yourself

Dr Vin Menon
4 min readMay 16, 2023

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Are you planning to give crypto gift cards to your loved ones? Be cautious and alert. In the fast moving world of digital transactions, crypto gift card scams are becoming common due to the rise in popularity for cryptocurrencies. As more people are purchasing cryptocurrencies gift cards, scammers are looking at it as a golden opportunity for themselves. They are taking advantages by creating fake gift cards that can be used to steal the money from unsuspecting victims.

Hence, it has become very important for the users of cryptocurrencies to be aware about crypto gift card scams and keep an eye on the safety of their digital assets. In this article, we will discuss cryptocurrencies gift cards and how to protect yourself from crypto gift card scams!

What are Crypto Gift Cards?

Crypto gift cards are becoming more and more popular for purchasing goods and services with cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrencies gift cards are similar to retail gift cards, but instead of having a pre-loaded amount of money, crypto gift cards have a pre-loaded amount of cryptocurrency. This makes people’s job easier to purchase items online without having to be worried about the conversion of their cryptocurrency into fiat currency first.

Users have access to use cryptocurrencies gift cards on any website that accepts them, which makes for an ideal way for people to use their cryptocurrencies in the real world.

Purchasing crypto gift cards is not that difficult. You just need to visit a website that sells cryptocurrencies gift cards, buy the cryptocurrencies you wish to gift, and pay the amount. Soon, you will get crypto gift cards which you can give to your loved ones.

How are Common Crypto Gift Card Scams Carried Out?

Cryptocurrencies gift card scams are a type of fraud in which scammers trick their victims into buying cryptocurrency gift cards, which they then steal. Here are some common ways in which these scams are carried out:

  • Social media scams: Scammers will create fake social media profiles and post messages or ads offering free or discounted cryptocurrency gift cards. Victims who respond to these messages are asked to provide their personal information and credit card details so as to claim the gift card. Once the scammers have this information, they use it to make fraudulent purchases.
  • Phishing emails: Scammers will send out emails that look like they are from legitimate companies, such as cryptocurrency exchanges or wallet providers. These emails will typically ask the recipient to click on a link provided or download an attachment in order to claim a free gift card or complete a survey. Once the victim selects the link and downloads the attachment, their computer is infected with malware, which allows the scammers to steal their personal information.
  • Spoofed websites: Scammers will create fake websites that look like they belong to legitimate companies, such as cryptocurrency exchanges or wallet providers. These websites will typically offer free or discounted gift cards to visitors who provide their personal information and credit card details. Once the scammers have this information, they use it to make fraudulent purchases.
  • Impersonation scams: Scammers will pose as legitimate employees of cryptocurrency exchanges or wallet providers and contact their victims via phone, email, or social media. They will claim that there is a problem with the victim’s account or that they need to authenticate their identity in order to claim a free crypto gift card. The scammers will then ask the victim to provide their personal information and credit card details, which they use to make fraudulent purchases.

How to Avoid a Crypto Gift Card Scam?

To avoid falling victim to crypto gift card scams, it is integral to be cautious when receiving unsolicited offers, to verify the legitimacy of any websites or social media profiles, and to never provide personal information or credit card details unless you are certain that you are dealing with a legitimate company.

What are the Best Practices for Buying Crypto Gift Cards?

It’s undeniable that buying cryptocurrencies gift cards is a great way to send digital currency as a gift or for other purposes. However, it is very important to be aware of the potential scams and risks that come with buying crypto gift cards. By following some best practices one can buy cryptocurrencies gift cards in the most trusted and authentic manner.

To ensure security while buying crypto gift cards, only purchase the cryptocurrencies gift cards from trusted sources, conduct proper research about the seller of crypto gift cards before making a purchase, and double-check the card’s balance before completing your purchase.

Additionally, it’s important to make sure that you are using secure payment methods when purchasing your cryptocurrencies gift cards and to never share your personal information with anyone. By following the best practices mentioned here, you can make sure that you are buying safe and secure crypto gift cards from trustworthy sellers.

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed cryptocurrencies gift cards and how to protect yourself from crypto gift card scams. In this era of technological advancements, crypto gift card scams are becoming tremendously popular. Due to the convincing approaches of scammers, people get trapped while purchasing cryptocurrencies gift cards, especially those who are newcomers to the world of cryptocurrency.

However, abiding by the best practices discussed in this article, one can avoid all common crypto gift card scams. While making purchases of crypto gift cards, make sure to research and verify the legitimacy of gift cards and investment opportunities. Beware of fraudulent activities and protect yourself from crypto gift card scams!

Want to read more informative articles on the world of crypto and blockchains? Do give my Medium blog a visit!

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Dr Vin Menon

A blockchain enthusiast and entrepreneur’s musings on the next big revolution since the Internet.