Guides › Gift Cards and Vouchers › Asked to Pay With Gift Cards: It Is a Scam
Asked to Pay with Gift Cards: It Is a Scam
Scammers phone or text claiming you owe tax or a fine, and tell you to pay by buying gift cards and reading out the codes. HMRC will never ask for payment in vouchers. End the call, and if you have paid, report it straight away. Payments made with gift card codes may not be recoverable.
At a Glance
Your Rights
What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.
How It Works
Gift Card Scams
Scammers use automated voicemails, spoofed calls or texts claiming unpaid tax and threatening arrest unless you pay with gift cards such as iTunes vouchers, and ask you to read out the codes. HMRC will never ask for payment in iTunes vouchers. Payments made this way may not be recoverable. End the call and report it to get a police crime reference number. source
Time Limits to Know
Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.
- Straight awayReport itAnd contact the gift card company
Steps to Take
Step 1 of 5
Hang up or ignore the message.
Step 2 of 5
If you paid, contact the gift card company straight away with the codes.
Step 3 of 5
Report it on 0300 123 2040.
Step 4 of 5
Tell your bank if you paid by card.
Step 5 of 5
Warn family members, especially older relatives.
(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)
Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right
Your options, in order, and when each one applies.
Action Fraud / Report Fraud
Report on 0300 123 2040.
The Gift Card Company
Ask if it can freeze the codes.
Good to Know
Small things that make your complaint stronger.
No real organisation asks for payment in gift cards.
Want Help?
If you would like one of our team to look at your problem, our initial case review is free. We cannot guarantee any outcome and we do not give legal advice.
Lead reviewer
Luke Marley
Founder and Lead Reviewer
Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.
Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.
Last checked: 13 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.
Sources and official links
- actionfraud.police.uk/alert/hmrc-and-apple-gift-card-fraud Checked 13 October 2026