'Gift card scams are rampant': LaSalle Police trying to curb gift card scammers

The LaSalle Police Service has created a simple crime prevention campaign to hopefully help curb gift card scams.

On Thursday, officers along with Windsor-Essex County Crime Stoppers posted signs in businesses throughout the town where gift cards are sold.

“Unfortunately gift card scams are rampant,” said Sr. Const. Terry Seguin.

“We're launching this today but we've been trying to get this message out for years,” Seguin explained. “We just thought let's go back to the basics.”

Seguin said the number of fraud related incidents has doubled over the last year, with a growing number of gift card scams targeting local residents.

“People can read when they're in that moment of panic or frustration or whatever the case may be that they can see the sign at the stand and think What am I doing? Am I doing the wrong thing?” Seguin said.

The sign reads, “Stop. Before you buy that gift card read this first. Did you receive a phone call from someone saying that you have to buy gift cards in order to pay a debt and to stay out of trouble with the law? Don’t do it. It’s a scam! Call the police.”

Seguin said they want to help people avoid being a victim.

“Explaining about how to prevent becoming a victim of gift card scams and what to do if you do become a victim there's still a chance that you might be able to recover your funds.”

Seguin said there are “thousands” of online, phone, text message, and e-mail scams but the one thing that remains constant is fraudsters trying get consumers money.

“A lot of times they will keep you on the phone while you go to the store and purchase thousands of dollars worth of gift cards,” Seguin said. “Then they will have you scratch the back of the gift card and read them the numbers once you read them those numbers that money is gone.”

He continued, “A good place to go to find out about current scams is the Canadian anti fraud centre. Right on their website they have scams listed from A to Z and then also have scams by medium meaning by telephone, mail, all the different types of mediums that you can receive the scams. There's also the Competition Bureau of Canada who has the Little Black Book of Scams that explains a fewer scams, but it explains them in greater detail.”

Another scam police are warning about is altered cards or gift card tampering.

Seguin suggests people should look at the back of any gift cards before purchase and make sure they haven't been tampered with. There is a QR code on the signs police are posting that will bring you to the LaSalle Police Service gift card scam page for further information.

“If you made a mistake and you did all the wrong steps. There's still a chance, a small chance but there's still a chance that we can help you.”