NEWS RELEASE
GUELPH POLICE SERVICE
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Todays 'Fraud Friday' is about gift card extortion scams. There has been increased reporting from victims that have been misled by scammers portraying themselves as from reputable companies (Apple, for example) and extorting victims via gift card payments.
How it works:
You receive a phone call from a person claiming to work for a reputable company (Apple, for example) saying that your account is locked and people will have access to your personal information unless a payment is made to unlock the account. If an unlocking fee is not paid, you are often threatened with the release of personal information, including bank accounts.
This scam involves threatening you by using aggressive and forceful language to scare consumers into paying fraudulent unlocking fees.
The caller requests immediate payment by gift card and to call back immediately with the redemption codes. The caller will urge/threaten you not to tell anyone.
You may be told to keep the caller on the phone, to drive to multiple locations and to lie to the store clerk if questioned about the purchases.
Warning signs – How to protect yourself:
- Do not make any kind of payment to someone claiming to be from a reputable company in any type of gift cards (including iTunes) or pre-paid visas.
- Never send money to an individual you do not know.
- Be very wary of messages that seem alarmingly urgent or require immediate response/action.
- Always question urgent requests for money.
- Never give out personal information over the phone, no matter who the caller claims to represent.
- Conduct open source searches (i.e. Google) to see if anybody has received a similar email suggesting it is a scam.
If you think you have been a victim of a scam, contact your financial institution immediately and local police. You can also report it online to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
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