Scammers are using delivery apps like Instacart to swindle customers and delivery workers out of money

• A scam is leaving Instacart shoppers or customers on the hook for gift cards they never ordered.
• The scammers ask Instacart shoppers to replace items with gift cards and then send the card's code.
• They can then access the money — and leave an unsuspecting customer with the bill.

Some Instacart shoppers are the targets of a scam centered on gift cards.

It works like this: A scammer acting as a legitimate customer will place an order with a few small items, like a beverage or a piece of fruit. After an Instacart shopper accepts the order, the customer messages the shopper and asks if they can add one or more gift cards — often worth $100 or more — to the order.