Christmas is over, but you might still have some leftover Amazon gift cards on hand. Maybe someone sent one to you as a gift or you received one for applying for a credit card. But in these days of savvy internet scams, how do you know if your gift card is real?
Let’s assume your Amazon gift card was sent via email. First, don’t click on any links here, or frankly in any emails, unless you are absolutely certain where it goes and who it is from.
In this case, if the email is indeed from Amazon, it will include a “claim code.” Once you find that,
- Copy the code to your device’s clipboard or into an empty document
- Log into your Amazon account
- Click the Gift Cards link
- Click Redeem an Amazon Gift Card
- Paste the claim code from the email into the Enter Claim Code field
If the email you received contained an actual gift card, the amount on the card will automatically be added to your Amazon gift card balance. If the claim code doesn’t work, and you are sure you entered it correctly, it and the email are fake. And needless to say, if the email you received does not include a claim code at all, it is not a valid Amazon email and should be deleted.
Yes, this takes a few more steps and 30 seconds more of your time, but it only takes clicking on one bad link to create a massive amount of chaos on your system and in your life.
Stay safe out there, happy shopping, and welcome to 2023!
