Gift cards may be a popular gift during the holidays, but regional police are out with a warning after a massive bust in Kitchener.
On Dec. 12, members of the Direct Action Response Team (DART) were on patrol when they received a report of an ongoing robbery in the area of Highland Road West.
When officers arrived, they found a man allegedly hiding gift cards and replacing authentic cards with fake ones before leaving the store. They found the suspect, arrested him and seized over 550 gift cards from several retailers. The estimated value of the cards were between $27,500 to $133,000 if they were activated.
A 39-year-old man from Markham has now been charged with theft under $5,000 and fraud over $5,000.
Regional Police are reminding the public of several tips when it comes to buying gift cards, especially during the holidays, including:
- Inspecting the packaging for signs of tampering;
- Making sure the PIN is not exposed or scratched off;
- Always buy cards from reliable sources/stores and to keep your receipt; and
- If a card is believed to be compromised, report it to the retailer.
