'It’s a scam': Guelph woman warns of gift card tampering
'It’s a scam': Guelph woman warns of gift card tampering
A Guelph woman is warning others to be vigilant this holiday season when buying gift cards on display at retailers.
Menalyn Santillana said she nearly fell victim to buying tampered gift cards twice at her local Walmart, on Woodlawn Road.
“I freaked out, of course, like this is real. It’s true. It’s happening,” she said. “It’s a scam.”
On Tuesday she went to the store to purchase gift cards as Christmas gifts, but she said before she went to the cashier, she ran her finger along the gift cards barcode and noticed the texture of the barcode was raised.
“I’d seen there’s a sticker [barcode] on top of the barcode itself,” she explained.
A Guelph woman said she noticed there was something different about the gift card she was about to purchase. (Submitted/Menalyn Santillana)
Santilliana said she was too nervous to buy the gift cards that day, so she left empty handed.
When she returned to the store the next day, she noticed the same thing.
Guelph Police said they are aware of this scam, and said it is happening across the entire retail sector.
“Essentially what fraudsters are doing is they’re coming into businesses that have like the big rolodex of different types of gift cards. They’re taking some of the gift cards without purchasing them, taking them home and then they’re laser printing barcodes of gift cards that they personally own, sticking it over top of the barcode,” said Det. Brooke Drake with Guelph Police’s fraud unit.
The scammers then bring the tampered cards back to the store.
“So you’re loading money onto their card, as opposed to purchasing a gift card for whomever,” said Det. Drake.
Police said there are several ways to spot a fraudulent gift card.
First, look at the barcode to see if it’s raised. If is it, peel the sticker off.
Second, check to see if the gift card that being purchased matches the description on the cashier’s computer.
“Let’s say you’re picking up an Amazon gift card for $50 … [the cashier] will ring it in and it could come up as an LCBO gift card, a PlayStation card, it could come up as anything,” said. Det. Drake. “That’s the card that the fraudster personally has in their name, so you’re loading money onto their card.”
Jon Rumley, the manager of corporate affairs with Walmart Canada said in a statement, “we take concerns of this nature seriously and investigate them promptly.”
“Walmart Canada issues and processes thousands of gift cards daily and incidents of gift card tampering are extremely rare. Gift card tampering is a challenge for all retailers, especially at this time of year. That’s why we have measures in place to protect our customers, including in-store signage and tips online about best practices for gift card fraud prevention. To further protect our customers, our gift card displays are in high-traffic areas and our associates are trained to regularly monitor gift cards for signs of tampering.”
Santillana said she wanted to spread the word, to help others from getting scammed.
“Just double check your gift card. Just make sure the back of your gift card is very plain – there’s no sticker on it. If you’re aware of it, you’ll notice it. But if not, you won’t notice it,” she said.
A gay man is taking the federal government to court, challenging the constitutionality of a policy restricting sexually active gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned.
On CTVNews.ca and YouTube: Health journalist Avis Favaro joins our Trend Line podcast, for an in-depth episode dedicated to the growing crises facing the Canadian health-care system.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
Gillian Burnett was almost finished her work day on Jan. 24 when she received a terrifying call about her young son. Waylon, 20-months-old, was found submerged in an outdoor pool at a home daycare near Petrolia, Ont.
A shelter that offers support to sex workers will soon be relocating to Old East Village, and while the move is positive news for the shelter, not all residents feel the same way.
Following a suicide bomb blast that killed more than 100 people in a mosque in Pakistan’s northern city of Peshawar, community leaders in Windsor-Essex are reminding people these attacks are rare and should not be simply dismissed as a byproduct of living in that part of the world.
As the City of Barrie prepares for extreme cold to move through the area later this week, local shelters are working on expanding space for those in need.
Tsuut'ina Nation Police Service officials are encouraging any local victims to come forward following the arrest of actor Nathan Lee Chasing Horse in Las Vegas on sex assault charges.
While crews have resumed operations in an attempt to open the Rideau Canal Skateway for its 53rd season, an NCC spokesperson tells CTV News Ottawa the canal will not open in time for the first weekend of Winterlude on Friday.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
Hundreds of tenants at a midtown Toronto apartment building have been without heat for a week now, and many are worried with the arrival of bitter-cold temperatures.
Montreal police say two men are in hospital Wednesday night with stab wounds after an altercation in a home in the city's Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough.
A new 911 dispatch system in New Brunswick means that now fire departments aren’t getting dispatched to all medical calls leaving residents waiting and first responders in the dark.
A day after Loblaws' price-freeze on No Name products ended, some experts are warning retailers that consumers won't hesitate to find new places to shop if prices are better.
More than four months after Hurricane Fiona hit Atlantic Canada, people are still dealing with damaged homes as they wait for help from insurance companies and provincial aid programs.
The organization regulating medical care and services in Manitoba is apologizing for racism directed towards Indigenous people when accessing health care in the province.
Calgary police are looking for suspects involved in an altercation that lasted for approximately an hour, spanned several communities and ended with a gun being fired.
Tsuut'ina Nation Police Service officials are encouraging any local victims to come forward following the arrest of actor Nathan Lee Chasing Horse in Las Vegas on sex assault charges.
Alberta's former chief medical officer of health has landed a new role in British Columbia. Dr. Deena Hinshaw was named a deputy provincial health officer for B.C. on Wednesday.
A French bulldog that was stolen from a rural property near Kamloops, B.C., three weeks ago has been reunited with her family, according to a Facebook post from the pup's owner.
The suspect in a Tuesday robbery at an Abbotsford gas station is at large, and investigators are seeking witnesses and dashcam video in hopes of finding him.
A Guelph woman said she noticed there was something different about the gift card she was about to purchase. (Submitted/Menalyn Santillana) 
