Did you know that there’s a new wave of financial fraud targeting ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and other AI chatbot users? Scammers are now reportedly exploiting subscription platforms of popular services like ChatGPT and Google Gemini to make unauthorised gift card purchases.
Victims, who subscribe to seemingly legitimate AI services, are later discovering unexpected high-value charges on their credit cards for “gift cards” they never ordered. These transactions often appear under the official name of the service provider, making them look like normal subscription add-ons and delaying detection by both users and banks.
ChatGPT gift card scam: How it operates
The fraud takes advantage of the gifting features available on major AI subscription platforms. After a user signs up and links their payment method, attackers, possibly through compromised accounts, bypass confirmation prompts or other vulnerabilities, make multiple gift card purchases without triggering full user alerts.
Users may receive confirmation emails about “gifts” being sent or received, which further confuses them into thinking the activity is legitimate. The delay between the initial subscription and the fraudulent charges makes it harder for victims to connect the dots.
These charges blend seamlessly with regular subscription payments, reducing immediate suspicion. Because they are processed through established platforms, banks rarely flag them as suspicious in real time.
In some cases, gift cards are even delivered to the victim’s own registered email address, raising concerns about possible email account access or platform-level weaknesses.
The monetary losses can mount quickly, with some users reporting hundreds of dollars deducted through multiple small or large transactions before they notice and act.
Note that these fraudulent gift card charges are unrelated to legitimate promotional offers, such as those provided by telecom operators like Jio and Airtel for Google Gemini or Perplexity Pro through their official apps.
How to stay safe from the ChatGPT gift scam
If you spot any unfamiliar charges to your ChatGPT or Google Gemini account, here are a couple of things you can do to stay safe.
– Immediately contact the AI service provider to report unauthorised purchases and request cancellation.
– Reach out to your bank or credit card issuer to dispute the charges and request a new card.
– Change passwords for your AI accounts and email, and enable two-factor authentication everywhere possible.
Service providers have also chimed in on the efforts, stating that they are enhancing monitoring for suspicious patterns and issuing refunds where fraud is confirmed. However, they have maintained that there is no widespread breach of their core payment systems.
Users are advised to regularly review their billing statements and avoid saving payment details on multiple platforms unless necessary. Vigilance remains the best defence against these evolving AI-related scams.