NEWS RELEASE
SOUTH SIMCOE POLICE SERVICE
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South Simcoe Police Service is reminding residents to be wary of emails where someone requests gift cards, even if the email appears at a glance to be from a person you know. A victim called police after receiving such an email on Sunday, June 7, 2020 where a person with an email address similar to an acquaintance claimed to be having trouble purchasing gift cards for a child's birthday. The victim was asked to do a favour, buy the cards and share the numbers with the suspect. After making the purchases totalling hundreds of dollars, the victim became suspicious and called police.
Fraudsters are creative and constantly adjusting their scams in order to catch victims off guard and prey on the goodwill of people. Requests for purchases or payments in gift cards is a big red flag. Ask questions, be alert and stop communication if you have even an inkling of doubt. Report these incidents to police.
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