By Jeanne Sahadi, CNN

(CNN) — Despite your best intentions, it can be difficult to get everyone in your circle a perfect – or at least personal – gift.

So you turn to Plan B: gift cards. Easy to get. Easy to use. Usually welcome.

But, given how prevalent financial scams are these days – and the ease with which they can be carried out using gift cards – it’s a good idea to make sure the money you put on the card will be protected from thieves and fraudsters.

Inspect physical gift cards before buying

Gift cards can be like cash. But the money is accessed using a PIN assigned to the card, so that code should be securely concealed from view when you buy it.

If you’re shopping for a gift card off a rack in a store, “check for signs of tampering,” said Rebecca Plett, an attorney with the marketing practices division at the Federal Trade Commission.

For instance, don’t buy a card if the protective covering has been scratched off and a PIN is revealed on the back, since whoever has stolen the PIN can use it to drain your money from the card.

Similarly, check the back of the card to see if there is a sticker with a bar code covering the card’s real bar code. The Better Business Bureau, a non-profit that rates businesses and publishes consumer reviews and customer complaints, notes the “fraudulent bar codes are connected to a different gift card account that the scammer controls.”

“That means when you scan a phony barcode at the check-out and pay, you’ll add cash to a scammer’s account rather than onto your newly purchased gift card,” the organization said.

And since thieves might tamper with an entire batch of cards at once, if you notice anything off, don’t buy any other cards from that rack, Plett suggested. Instead, report the damaged card to the store and go elsewhere.

Buy online directly from a retailer

Your safest option may be to buy a gift card online from a reputable retailer, Plett said. That way, the card isn’t physically exposed to everyone coming through a store.

The FTC cautions against buying gift cards from online auction sites “to avoid buying fake or stolen cards.”

And it advises not to click on any texts or emails promising a “free” gift card if you just share some personal or financial information. It’s a scam, the FTC says, and you’re putting yourself at greater risk of identity theft.

Keep good records

However you buy a card, save the receipt and take a photo of the front and back of the card, which may be helpful if the gift recipient runs into issues using it.

And tell the recipient to check the balance on the card as soon as they get it, Plett said. If the card issuer offers the option of registering the card, that can offer another layer of protection.

If you or the recipient loses the gift card or thinks it may be stolen, report it to the card issuer as soon as possible, Plett said.

Never use a gift card to pay someone on demand

One of the most common gift-card scams throughout the year involves fraudsters contacting you and pretending to be from a government agency, a company or law enforcement. They insist that you owe money and demand that you make the payment using gift cards. Don’t fall for it.

“Gift cards are for gifts. Legitimate organizations will never ask to be paid by gift card,” Plett said.

Where to report a scam

If you do fall prey to a gift card scam, report it to the card issuer. The FTC has a list of common card issuers’ contact information here.

And report it to the FTC at ReportFraud@ftc.gov.

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