Lethbridge Police Service says gift card scams, other fraud on the rise
Lethbridge residents should think twice before buying a gift card or opening a strange email. The Lethbridge Police Service issued a public advisory.
Gift card scams are among of those on the rise in Lethbridge, according to the Economic Crimes Unit (ECU). Authorities have recently received around half-a-dozen reports of people falling victim to gift card fraud after buying a gift card from someone who may have been posing as a representative from a government agency, bank or other business. Read more: Waterloo police investigating alleged lumber purchasing scam Police said a recent example involved someone who took an online job, and was asked to purchase gift cards and forward them to another recipient.
However, the reimbursement turned out to be fraudulent. Residents have reported losses totaling around $500,000 in cash and $50,000 in cryptocurrency since the beginning of the year–all from different types of scams.
A further $200,000 in scams were attempted, but were unsuccessful after the victim realized they were being scammed or a financial institution stepped in.
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