Recognizing a Gift-Card Scam in an Online Sale
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Reviewed & verified by A. Jason Velez, Esq.*
Managing Attorney, 1LAW · Last reviewed May 13, 2026
Legal Inquiry
Consumer Legal Issue
Someone is buying my item off of eBay but he is asking for a gift card with the item but the money will not send until I buy the gift card.
Yes they want the gift card because it was for a gift.
Attorney Answer
This is a textbook advance-fee gift-card scam, not a legitimate sale — a buyer who says payment will only be sent after you first buy a gift card "for a gift" is running one of the most common online-marketplace fraud schemes, and you should not purchase or send any gift-card codes to this buyer. Cancel the transaction immediately, don't ship the item, and don't provide any account or payment access based on a promise that money will follow.
Missouri's consumer protection law, the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, broadly prohibits deception, fraud, false pretense, misrepresentation, and concealment of material facts in connection with the sale of merchandise. That statute provides the general legal backdrop for scam transactions like this one, though no single provision targets gift-card-payment scams specifically, so it's best understood as a general consumer-protection framework rather than a precise fit.
What you can do:
1. Stop communicating with the buyer and do not send any gift-card numbers, PINs, or photos of gift cards under any circumstances.
2. Report the buyer through eBay's fraud-reporting tools so the account and listing can be reviewed and protected.
3. File a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov, both of which track and act on these schemes across platforms.
4. Keep copies of all messages, screenshots, and the buyer's account details — this documentation helps eBay and law enforcement investigate.
Because this is fundamentally a fraud-prevention situation rather than a contract dispute, reporting through eBay and these federal channels is the most effective next step.
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Courts & Legal Aid in Missouri
- File or look up a case through the Missouri Courts, which serves the state.
- Get free civil legal help from Legal Services of Missouri.
- Use the LSC — Find Legal Aid to find a local legal-aid office by ZIP code.
- Use the LawHelp.org to browse free legal information and self-help resources.
- Use the ABA Lawyer Referral Directory to get matched with a local attorney through your state bar.
- Visit FTC — Report Fraud to report scams and deceptive business practices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a buyer asking for a gift card before payment a common scam?
Yes, generally this pattern is a well-known advance-fee scam, and legitimate buyers do not require sellers to purchase gift cards before paying.
What should someone do if asked for a gift card during an online sale?
Generally, the safest step is to stop communicating with the buyer, avoid sending any gift-card codes, and cancel the transaction.
Where can online marketplace scams be reported?
Generally, such scams can be reported through the platform's fraud-reporting tools, the FTC, and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
