NEWS RELEASE
SOUTH SIMCOE POLICE SERVICE
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BRADFORD, ON - A 44-year-old Bradford woman has been defrauded of several thousand dollars after falling victim to a gift card scam.
The woman reports that she received a phone call around 8 a.m. on Thursday, June 28, 2018 from a man with a thick Indian accent who claimed he worked for a credit card company where the victim has an account.
He told the victim that a man with her surname had purchased a large amount of iTunes gift cards as an anniversary gift for his wife. The victim advised that it wasn't her husband's name and it wasn't their anniversary.
She was then told that she could help recoup the money but she needed to purchase iTunes cards in order to trace the hackers.
The woman bought a large quantity of gift cards at two Bradford stores and gave the caller the codes. She was told to be on speakerphone during the purchases.
The caller also made multiple cash transfers after convincing the woman to "share" her computer and login to her bank account.
The woman became suspicious when she was instructed to go to the post office to wire a sum of money.
At that point, the victim's daughter took the phone and accused the man of being a fraudster before the call ended.
The victim has since changed all her banking and credit cards and access passwords. She has had her computer wiped for suspicious programs or viruses. She was further advised to contact Equifax for a credit check.
South Simcoe Police Service officers want to alert members of the public that gift card scams are still happening in our communities and residents need to be vigilant. Never allow any caller access to your banking information or accounts. If you receive a call like this, hang up and contact police. No legitimate company or organization deals in gift cards to make payments or recover losses. Listen to your inner voice. If it seems off, it probably is. In March, we launched a Fraud Intervention Initiative and the message still stands: Don't get scammed with gift cards!
On Friday, June 29, 2018, South Simcoe Police Service responded to 90 calls for service.
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