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Integrity and Compliance

Gift Card Fraud and Policy

Amid several targeted gift card scams, the Cash and Cash Equivalents Policy explains how to properly obtain gift cards.

As reported in the YNews, the BYU community has recently been targeted by gift card-related phishing scams. To fraudulently obtain gift cards, scammers pretend to be a coworker and email their “coworker” with a request to buy gift cards and send pictures of the numbers on the gift card.

Being familiar with the university’s Cash and Cash Equivalents Policy will help you avoid falling victim to this scam. Under the policy, BYU students, faculty, and staff may not use university funds to purchase gift cards using P-cards, department cards, Fast Track, or purchasing requisitions. This helps prevent fraud, and also helps to simplify the reports required by the IRS for each gift card purchased.

Employees may only buy gift cards for certain appropriate purposes. Gift cards may not be used as compensation to pay employees or individuals for work performed. Employees must be hired in the HR system and independent contractors must have an independent contract signed and on file. Your department Controller (and possibly Dean/Director) will review your gift card request for appropriateness following these allowable general guidelines:

  1. Is this payment for research or study participants?
  2. Is this an approved university, college, or department faculty and employee recognition award?
  3. Is this a special recognition with approval from the dean or unit director?

If you would like to give a gift card for any of these purposes, you can get a campus gift card, Cougar Cash load, or a prepaid Visa gift card from Treasury Services. To request a gift card, visit giftcards.byu.edu. Your manager should never ask you to purchase gift cards outside of this process.

The person distributing the gift cards is responsible for collecting information required by the IRS. Please refer to the Gift Card FAQs, which describes the information that must be collected.

For help with questions about the Cash and Cash Equivalents Policy, contact Treasury Services at 801-422-4701 or giftcards@byu.edu.

To view all university policies, please visit policy.byu.edu.

By Topher Hill on July 1, 2022