Stop! Think Gift Voucher Fraud #FraudFree2026

Stop! Think Gift Voucher Fraud #FraudFree2026

Good afternoon,

It is very common for gift vouchers to be used by criminals to steal your hard-earned cash to fund organised crime groups or facilitate money laundering, often through online fraud.

When I popped into my local department store at the weekend, they had a sign at the till which read:

“Gift cards should never be used to pay bills or send money to someone.  These demands are scams.  Don’t share the code on the back of the card with anyone.”

What great advice. 

If someone asks you to pay for something in gift vouchers or send a voucher code to them or someone else, Stop! Think Fraud.  

Vouchers are only redeemable for products and services with the business named on the card eg: Apple gift vouchers can only be used to pay for Apple products, they can’t be used to pay for hospital treatment, flights, to buy food, pay utility bills, HMRC bills, council tax etc.   

For more information about gift voucher fraud please see: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c997jy8k7rpo

Please do share this important update with friends and family and encourage them to sign up for their own Hampshire Alert: https://www.hampshirealert.co.uk/ 

Hampshire Alerts is not a crime reporting portal – please do not report crime here.

If you realise you’ve been defrauded and wish to report a fraud that has already happened, please report it to Report Fraud either by phone 0300 123 2040 or online at: https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/ 

However, if a fraud or other crime is in progress, and/or you are in fear for yourself or someone else, and/or there is evidence in situ that could be damaged/destroyed, please phone 999 immediately. 

Otherwise, report non-fraud crime online, or find out about other ways to report a crime at: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/

If you would like to report a crime anonymously please contact: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/ or phone 0800 555 111

If you've been affected by a crime please contact Victim Care Hub for free, confidential, support:  https://www.hampshireiowvictimcare.co.uk/  or phone 0808 178 1641

If you’ve received a phishing email please report it to your email provider and/or forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk 

If you’ve received unwanted phone calls or texts from people you think are trying to scam you, but you haven’t engaged with them, please forward the text/phone number to 7726 or your phone provider.

Thank you – Fraud Safeguarding Team