Gift cards are popular and convenient for consumers— and for criminals who favor them as easy and hard-totrace forms of payment.

They may claim the fastest way to fix an urgent financial problem is to go to a store, load a specific amount of money onto one or more gift cards (sometimes called electronic vouchers), and then share the activation numbers from the back of the card. No legitimate government agency or business will ever accept payment this way.

If you or someone you love has experienced this financial crime, turn the card over and call the issuer at the number provided; they may be able to freeze the card before some or all of the funds are drained. You should also report this crime to law enforcement to document what happened should there be a means of restitution down the road.