Walmart gift card email scams: how to tell it's fake
Quick answer
An email that says you won a Walmart gift card, or that asks you to buy Walmart gift cards and send the numbers, is a scam. The FTC says no real business or agency will ever tell you to pay with a gift card. Don't click, and report the email.
- Comes by
- Email, Text, Phone call
- Pretends to be
- Walmart
- Last updated
How it works
Scammers pretend to be Walmart in two ways. In the first, an email or text says you won a gift card or a prize, with a link that asks for personal and financial information. Walmart says scammers send emails that can look genuine, logo included, and that it doesn't tell winners about contests by text message.
In the second, someone tells you to pay by gift card. The FTC says scammers name the store, often Walmart, Target, CVS or Walgreens, and have you read the numbers off the back of the card. They say it's urgent or that something terrible will happen. Once they have the numbers, the money is gone.
The FTC says the same applies to a boss, a utility or a government agency: nobody legitimate asks for payment in gift cards.
Red flags
- A prize or gift card you didn't enter to win
- An email with a link that asks for personal or financial information
- Poor writing or an odd sender address
- A demand that you buy gift cards and read out the numbers
- Urgency, or a threat that something bad will happen
- A contest notice by text message
Example message
Congratulations! You've been selected to receive a Walmart gift card. Confirm your name, address and card details at [link] to claim it before the offer expires.
What to do
- 1
Don't click or reply
Delete the email or text. Walmart says scammers can spoof phone numbers and email addresses to look legitimate.
- 2
Never read out gift card numbers
If someone told you to buy gift cards, stop. The FTC says that is always a scam, whatever they claim.
- 3
If you already bought and shared the cards
Keep the card and the receipt. Contact the gift card company right away, tell them it was used in a scam and ask for your money back.
- 4
If you entered personal details
Change the passwords involved and see IdentityTheft.gov. Our guide on what to do after a data breach has more.
- 5
Report it
Forward fake Walmart emails as an attachment to the abuse address Walmart lists on its fraud alerts page, and report it to the FTC.
Report it
Check if your details are exposed with Serus
Scammers find your number and address on data brokers and people-search sites. Serus removes them.
Why you got it
Gift card emails go to long lists of addresses. Yours may be on one because of a data breach, a contest entry or a people-search listing that shows your email and phone number. Serus finds the data brokers and people-search sites that list your name, address and phone number and sends the removal requests, and it alerts you when your details show up in a breach, so fewer scammers can reach you.
More Walmart scams
Frequently asked
Does Walmart give away gift cards by email?
Walmart warns about emails that look real but are phishing. If you didn't enter, treat a gift card email as a scam and go to Walmart's website yourself.
Is Walmart a scam?
No. Scammers pretend to be Walmart. Walmart publishes fraud alerts.
Why do scammers ask for gift cards?
The FTC says it's a payment that's hard to trace and hard to get back, and no real business or agency will ask for it.
Can I get my money back if I shared the numbers?
Sometimes. Contact the gift card company straight away with the card and receipt, and report it to the FTC.
Sources
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