Walmart Gift Cards Scam—Common Deceptive Schemes and Prevention Tips

According to reports received by the Federal Trade Commission, financial scammers prefer using gift cards to steal money as they aren’t as traceable as debit or credit cards. Any gift card fraud, including Walmart gift card scams, can be fairly easy to execute if people aren't cautious enough.

Luckily, keeping scammers at bay isn’t too difficult once you figure out how they operate. In this guide, we will show you the ins and outs of Walmart gift card frauds and help you steer clear of shady situations. We’ll also reveal a legit method to earn free gift cards, cash, and other prizes without the fear of scammers!

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Types of Walmart Gift Card Scams Explained

Scammers can get pretty creative while orchestrating scams related to Walmart gift cards. Some bait you with prizes and free giveaways, while others use fake treats to lure you into sharing your gift card details. Some scams are also operated to install viruses and malware on your phone or computer, which may expose all your sensitive private and financial data to scammers and hackers.

You’ll find common patterns if you observe how scams play out. Scammers often use the following five mediums to conduct gift card frauds:

1. Text messages
2. Emails
3. Website pop-ups
4. Phone calls
5. Walmart stores

Walmart Gift Card Text Message Scam

Walmart text message scams are all about con artists and their game of subtle or not-so-subtle persuasion. The format of these texts may differ, but the content is usually the same—asking you to click on a link to claim a free Walmart gift card. Once you do it, your phone gets compromised with malware, making it no longer safe to use. Some users also claim that the malware inflated their phone bills.

Many text scammers have come up with other creative texts on WhatsApp and other similar platforms. They involve:

• Walmart $1,000 gift card promotion text from a “recognizable company” (even though the mentioned company is never involved)
• Walmart COVID-19 relief gift card messages
• Texts asking you to pay for shipping to get free Walmart gift cards delivered

These unsolicited messages contain convincing words, such as “verified” and “authentic,” but you should never fall for them no matter how persuasive they sound. Text message scams also try to bait shoppers with other popular gift cards, such as those from Target, Amazon, eBay, and even PayPal, so use your discernment to avoid getting duped.

Source: Tara Winstead

Walmart $1,000 Gift Card Email Scams

The ominous Walmart $1,000 gift card emails have been around since 2012 and are still active. You will be asked to take a survey through a link, but like text scams, it’s a gateway to viruses and malware.

Know that gift cards sold at Walmart are usually in denominations between $5 and $500—so any $1,000 gift card is most likely fake. Walmart has also alerted people about such scams, as they never send surveys or free gift card emails to consumers.

Walmart $1,000 Free Gift Card Pop-Up Virus

The Walmart $1,000 free gift card pop-up is another scam that can infect your device. The pop-up screen shows the signature Walmart’s medium blue and sun yellow color scheme. Clicking on it often exposes your personal or financial info saved on the browser.

Walmart Gift Card Phone Call Scam

While email and text scams are mostly digital threats that can be ignored, phone call scams can be real pitfalls if you’re not careful. According to recent reports, Walmart phone call scams are backed by a large fraud ring operating in at least 46 U.S. states. Scammers usually call you posing as representatives from a government entity (like IRS or FBI), a power or tech company, or similar institutions. They inform you that you’re in some sort of panic-inducing financial trouble and ask you to:

1. Pay a large sum of money through Walmart gift cards
2. Share your gift card credentials

The obvious red flag here is the impracticality of such requests. Walmart gift cards can only be used at online and brick-and-mortar stores of Walmart and its associates. No legit entity will ever ask for gift cards as a payment method. Such phone call-based scams usually target the elderly who find it easier to pay for their regular household supplies, gas, and grocery pickups through Walmart gift cards. 

Source: Kampus Production

Used or Fake Walmart Gift Card Scam

Many customers have bought brand new Walmart gift cards only to find out that there’s zero balance on them. According to Better Business Bureau (BBB), scammers usually note down the card number and activation PIN of general, Walmart Plus, or Visa gift cards displayed on the store racks. Walmart gift cards are activated only when they’re purchased and registered. Once a customer buys the card, the scammers exhaust it before the original buyer can purchase anything. The scammers often operate at multiple locations to avoid suspicion.

You can avoid such scams by paying attention to the gift card—don’t buy it if it looks tampered with. Tampered gift cards may have scratches, or their packaging may appear compromised. You can also get Walmart eGift cards instead of plastic ones. Digital cards are securely delivered to your email and carry a negligible chance of tampering.

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Someone Used My Walmart Gift Card—What To Do

If you notice suspicious transactions on your Walmart gift card, you may want to alert the following authorities:

The bad news is—it’s next to impossible to retrieve money lost in a gift card scam. Being non-reloadable instruments, tracking spending (whether physical or digital) on these cards is difficult, and retailers usually don’t have to verify who uses them.

Source: RODNAE Productions

Free Walmart Gift Card Offer—What’s Real and What’s a Scam?

Free gift card offers are tempting, but the ones that are actually legit always ask you for something in return—something that requires your personal involvement. Reward apps and survey websites are common examples of platforms that compensate you with free gift cards from popular retailers, hard cash, game cards (Roblox, Free Fire, and similar), and other prizes for activities like answering consumer-centric questions and watching ads.

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Featured image source: Tim Gouw