Why scammers ask for prepaid gift cards

"“The prepaid code would be noted, and the phone operator would promise that another IRS agent would soon issue a receipt. The call center worker who carried out final negotiations was called a “closer.” The prepaid codes were then used to buy Apple products that were either distributed as incentives or sold.”

https://narratively.com/this-indian-cop-took-down-a-massive-irs-call-center-scam/

quite scummy if you ask me, but indian college students fall for it due to the perks