Hang up on gift card scammers this holiday season: OPP

Provincial police are spreading the word about tech-savvy con artists in southwestern Ontario after several residents fell victim to a gift card scam.

South Bruce OPP said three people in the region lost more than $10,000 to scammers in the last week, heading into the holiday season when people are traditionally more generous.

Police say scammers typically contact potential victims by phone, text or email, pretending to be a friend, relative, coworker or trusted company. The scammers will tell a story, ask the victim to buy a gift card, and provide them with the activation PIN. Once the gift card code is shared, the money and the scammeraregone.

"One of the biggest challenges for law enforcement is we cannot get that money back," said Const. Kevin Martin, a community safety officer with South Bruce OPP.

Martin said scammers tend to prey on people who are 55 years of age and older, from a generation where it's impolite to argue on the phone or hang up on people.

"What I always recommend is if you're not comfortable putting that phone down, that's okay, but do absolutely nothing," he said. "If you get a call out of the blue, if there's something you weren't expecting, just don't act."

LISTEN |OPPConst. Kevin Martin talks about recent cases of scam with Afternoon Drive host Allison Devereaux:

Police also want to remind the public that you can't win a contest that you didn't enter and if you have a concern about your computer, take it to a reputable repair shop for service. Never provide remote access to computer service that calls out of the blue.

Up-to-date information on fraud and ongoing scams can be found at theCanadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

The South Bruce OPP is asking anyone who might have been scammed or has additional information to call 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).