GREENSBORO, N.C. — CBS-- You've got bills to pay. Your options: cash, check, credit card….gift card? Just stop right there. No company, no government agency, no business will ask you to pay your bill with a gift card.
If you're asked to pay with a gift card-- it's always a scam. No matter how real the situation sounds.
For example, David Tomasini got a call from someone posing as a lawyer.
The caller said Tomasin's grandson was in jail and needed bail money.
As instructed, he bought $3,000 worth of gift cards.
"Anyone who tells you to pay with a gift card is a scammer and once you shared the gift card number and pin, your money is probably gone."
The Federal Trade Commission is warning you---con artists are demanding this type of payment, often asking for itunes, Google play or Amazon gift cards which can be found in countless stores.
"Gift cards are great for con artists for 3 reasons. First of all it's almost impossible for a consumer to reverse the transaction, it's quick, it's very quick for the con artist and third it let's the con artist remain anonymous."
The FTC's Monica Vaca says in 2015 consumers lost $20 million in scams where gift card payments were involved. In just the first 9 months of this year that number ballooned to $53 million.
"So if someone calls you up and demands that you pay with a gift card - hang up - that is a scam. If you have paid with a gift card contact the company that issued the card right away."
The FTC says in some cases you may be able to reverse the payment getting your money back is tough. The FTC keeps track of these cases-- and has resources on how to report scams and make a formal complaint.