Tips for selling my unused App Store giftcard

I received an App Store gift card instead of payment from a past employer. I tried to trade it in on various gift card trading sites, but none of them will accept this card. So I listed it on eBay, but I can't get it to sell there either because the general public believes that I'm trying to sell a used gift card. It's a vicious circle. The only true way to verify that I'm telling the truth about the balance is to give away the code so that the balance can be checked. But if thy happens, the balance will be credited to someone else's account and I probably wouldn't receive payment.

Is there any better way to do this? Is there a way that I can get the balance refunded either from Apple or a different Apple retailer? Selling it online just seems outright impossible, I can't really use this card, giving it away is not an option, and I desperately need the money. I can't afford food at the moment, which is another reason why I'm ****** that I got this gift card. Why would you give a starving person a gift card that you cannot sell instead of real money???? I also cannot contact my previous employer. It's like he's disappeared off the face of the earth. Alternatively, is there a way to verify the balance to others without having it credit anyone's account?