Payment Methods That Are Hard To Get Back

Avoid them. The FTC says that scammers often ask you to pay in ways that make it tough to get your money back, such as wire transfers, gift cards, cash reload cards and cryptocurrency. It compares paying that way to sending cash.

What the FTC says

• Scammers often ask you to pay in ways that make it hard to get your money back.
• Do not pay with wire transfers through companies like MoneyGram or Western Union.
• Do not pay with gift cards such as iTunes or Google Play, cash reload cards like MoneyPak, or cryptocurrency.
• Paying with these methods is like sending cash. Once it is gone, you generally cannot get it back.
• Credit cards have legal protections if something goes wrong with the transaction or delivery.
• The FTC’s gift card page says that anyone who demands payment by gift card is a scammer.

What to do

1. Decline the offer and leave the site.
2. Use a credit card or a secure payment system.
3. If you have already paid, contact the company that issued the card or transfer straight away.
4. Report the seller at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
5. Keep screenshots and receipts.

Why cards are different

The FTC says credit cards have legal protections if something goes wrong with a transaction or delivery. That is the reason the same agency repeats its advice so often: a card payment can be disputed, while a gift card number or a transfer is gone as soon as it is sent. For a bag costing a few hundred dollars, that difference is worth a few more minutes of checking.

Warning signs

A seller who offers a discount only for these payment methods, who rushes you, or who goes quiet after you pay is following a familiar pattern.

Where this answer stops

This is general guidance for US shoppers. Some honest sellers accept unusual payment methods, but the lack of recourse makes them a poor choice for buying a bag from a stranger.