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Be wary of scam asking you to buy gift cards

If you receive a call asking for gift cards as a form of payment or to reset an account password, hang up the phone and contact police
Scam
File photo/Village Media

NEWS RELEASE
SOUTH SIMCOE POLICE
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South Simcoe Police Service officers are warning the public about a gift card fraud after a Bradford man was sent on a spending spree.

The 53-year-old man told police that he received an email from what he thought was an online payment company indicating his account had been compromised.

A phone number was provided for the victim to call to reset his password. The man said he called the number and was told to purchase Google Play gift cards in order for his password verification to be processed.

The victim complied with that request and then four more requests for gift card purchases totalling several thousand dollars. He believed all his money would be reimbursed and his password would be re-established.

On Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019, the man attended the South Division to report the incident fearing it was a scam after being asked to purchase even more gift cards.

He had already cancelled his credit card.

This is the second incident of this nature reported to us this week. Scammers continue to come up with new ways to victimize the public.

Companies do not ask for gift cards for payment or to reset passwords. This is a huge red flag. If it happens to you, hang up and report the incident to police.

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