Oak Bay senior loses $2K to gift card scam: police

Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Facebook Share on X (Opens in new window)X Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window)Bluesky Share using Native toolsShareCopied to clipboard Share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Reddit Share on Mail (Opens in new window)Mail Oak Bay Police is issuing a reminder that legitimate agencies will not ask for payment in gift cards, after a local senior lost $2,000.

Officers received a report on Jan. 27 that a senior was persuaded by unknown people to buy $2,000 in gift cards. Oak Bay Police says the suspects could not be identified, and the gift cards were not able to be cancelled to reimburse the funds. “Police remind the public that legitimate businesses, government agencies, and law enforcement will never request payment by gift cards,” Oak Bay Police said in a news release.

“Any unexpected demand for gift cards, especially when combined with pressure or urgency, is a strong indicator of a scam.” If an agency contacts you and requests payment in gift cards, Oak Bay Police encourages you to pause, verify the request with a trusted third party, and contact police if you believe you are being targeted by scammers.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says in the first nine months of 2025, it had received 33,854 reports of fraud, where $544 million was lost. The centre has tips to help protect yourself from scams, including: Don’t be afraid to say no Scammers will often use high-pressure tactics to make you act immediately.

If you are contacted by someone asking you to send money or other forms of payment right away, request the information in writing and hang up. Do your research If someone contacts you claiming to be from an official agency, such as a bank, the Canada Revenue Agency, or police, make sure you’re dealing with the official agency by: Hanging up and calling the organization directly using a phone number you found yourself.

Watch out for “spoofed” emails or phone numbers, which means the scammers change their email address or call display to look legitimate. Don’t give out personal information If you receive an unsolicited phone call, do not give out personal information including your name, address, birthdate, Social Insurance Number, or any banking information.

Hang up, and call them back directly to verify it is the legitimate agency. Beware of upfront fees It is illegal for a company to ask you to pay a fee upfront before giving you a loan. There are no prize fees or taxes in Canada. Protect your computer Watch out for urgent looking messages online.

Do not click them or call the number provided. No legitimate company will call you and claim your computer is infected with a virus. Never give anyone remote access to your computer. Instead call a technician if you are having issues. Recognize spoofing Spoofing is when fraudsters make their email, phone number or website appear to be legitimate.

Caller ID: Fraudsters can edit their caller ID to appear as a legitimate agency (such as changing it to a bank name or law enforcement agency) Email: Fraudsters can create email addresses that appear to come from a legitimate agency to make you believe it is legitimate (for example, putting two n’s instead of an m).

Website: Fraudsters can create website that look the same as the real website for an agency, and use similar tactics for the URL as in email spoofing above. The Anti-Fraud Centre says you can protect yourself from spoofing by: Never assume phone numbers are accurate Hang up and make an outgoing call using a phone number you found yourself Contact agencies directly if you receive a text claiming to be from them Never click on links received in an email or text message Always verify the URL when visiting a website Laura has been working with CHEK since 2021 and is a graduate from Langara College’s journalism program.