A Guelph woman in her 70s lost $3,000 in a gift card scam after receiving phone calls from someone posing as a fraud investigator, Guelph police said.
A man claimed the victim’s credit card had been compromised and that purchases had been made at several businesses.
He asked her to assist their investigation by buying gift cards from several locations, claiming her credit card would be reimbursed, according to police.
The victim bought six gift cards valued at $500 each from various businesses, later providing the PIN numbers to a male on the telephone.
The Guelph Police Service is reminding the public that no police officer or government official will ever instruct you to purchase and send gift cards or submit payment via Bitcoin.
Police advise being vigilant and cautious when speaking with someone you don’t know, especially online or over the phone.
