How do I report an Apple gift card scam?
Short answer
To report an Apple gift card scam, file a report with the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and contact Apple using verified details from their official website. If the scam arrived by text message, forward it to 7726 or use the junk reporting option in your messaging app. For deceptive emails, use your provider's spam reporting button. Check what to do if you sent money to a scammer if you suffered a financial loss.
The details
Scammers frequently use fake promises of gift cards, prizes, or urgent account alerts to trick recipients into revealing personal data, passwords, or payment credentials. According to the FTC guidance on spam texts, unexpected messages claiming you won a gift card or that you must verify payment information are fraudulent. If you receive an unexpected message regarding an Apple gift card or account problem, do not click embedded links or call phone numbers listed in the message. Navigate directly to Apple's official website to find verified customer support contact channels.
Reporting unwanted communications helps authorities and service providers disrupt fraudulent operations. You can copy suspicious text messages and forward them to 7726, which alerts your mobile carrier to block similar messages in the future. You can also report junk or spam directly through your messaging app and submit a formal report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For suspicious emails requesting gift card payments or claiming you won a reward, use the reporting button in your email client or see our guide on how to report a phishing email.
What to do
- Do not click links or dial phone numbers included in the suspicious message.
- Forward fraudulent text messages directly to 7726 to alert your mobile carrier.
- Report the message as junk or spam within your messaging application or email client.
- Submit an official fraud report with the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Look up Apple's verified contact details on their official website to report the incident.
Terms explained
- Social engineering
- Social engineering is the manipulation of people, rather than technology, to gain access, information or money.
- HTTPS and TLS
- HTTPS is HTTP protected by TLS encryption, which keeps data between a browser and a website private and tamper-resistant and confirms the site controls its domain.
- Phishing
- Phishing is a fraudulent message, usually email, that impersonates a trusted sender to trick people into revealing credentials, paying money or running malware.