New Jersey now requires stores to post gift card scam warnings under consumer protection law
TRENTON, N.J. — A new state law now requires most New Jersey retailers selling gift cards to prominently display a warning notice about gift card scams, the Division of Consumer Affairs announced. The mandate, part of P.L. 2025, c.39 and codified at N.J.S.A. 56:8-110.3, took effect Oct. 1, 2025.
The law requires gift card sellers to display a state-issued “Consumer Notice” informing shoppers that no legitimate business or government agency will ever request payment in gift cards, a tactic frequently used in fraud schemes targeting vulnerable or unsuspecting consumers.
The required poster urges customers to be alert to red flags, such as being pressured to buy cards to pay urgent fees, being told to keep the purchase secret, or receiving frantic calls from someone claiming to be a relative in trouble. It also advises consumers to check packaging for tampering, keep receipts, and avoid giving card numbers to anyone requesting them remotely.
In addition to the display requirement, the law calls for new “enhanced, secure” anti-fraud packaging and labeling on gift cards themselves. However, the Division acknowledged the manufacturing and supply challenges associated with producing and restocking secure, compliant cards ahead of the holiday season.
To ease the transition, the agency announced it will delay enforcement of N.J.S.A. 56:8-110.3(c) — the section governing upgraded physical gift card security features — until Feb. 1, 2026. The Division said the extension recognizes the time needed for manufacturers and retailers to meet the enhanced standards while avoiding disruptions for businesses and consumers during the peak shopping months.
Retailers must still fully comply with the requirement to post the anti-scam notice as of Oct. 1.
Consumers who believe they have been targeted or victimized by a gift card scam are encouraged to report it to the Federal Trade Commission, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, or their local police department.
More information is available at NJConsumerAffairs.gov.
