Why am I being asked to pay with gift cards?
Answer first
A gift-card code transfers value quickly and is hard to reverse. A request like this from an authority, bank or support service is a scam.
A gift-card code works as a means of payment. Once you give it away, the value can be spent quickly and recovery is often difficult.
A scammer may also request cryptocurrency or a transfer through an unfamiliar payment service. The chosen method makes it harder to stop the money or identify the recipient.
A demand from an authority, bank or technical support service to pay with a gift-card code is enough reason to end the call or conversation.
An authority does not collect fines in gift cards. Verohallinto (the Finnish Tax Administration) does not refund tax against them. A support service does not bill with them.