---
title: "Is ‘the IRS’ asking you to pay by gift card? It’s the latest ‘impostor’ scam."
metaTitle: "IRS Gift Card Scam Warning"
slug: irs-gift-card-scam-warning
date: "2018-10-25T15:14:29-05:00"
image:
  src: "https://cdn.securelogix.dev/slx/images/undefined.webp"
sourcePublisher:
  name: Washington Post
  url: wapo.st
sourceArticle:
  url: "https://wapo.st/2yEci9u"
legacySlug: is-the-irs-asking-you-to-pay-by-gift-card-its-the-latest-impostor-scam
tags: [Consumer Fraud, IRS]
status: published
---

October 25, 2018

Cash is not king when it comes to the latest round of scams.

The Federal Trade Commission has issued a warning to consumers that criminals are posing as government officials and asking people to use a gift card to pay a bogus tax bill or get a new Medicare card.

This type of crime is adding up to big bucks. The FTC said victims reported losing $20 million to such fraud in 2015. In just the first three quarters of this year, the losses have been $53 million…