A Trail resident lost $300 in an email scam involving electronic gift cards, prompting a warning from local police about the growing prevalence of similar frauds.
According to Trail RCMP, the complaint came in at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 13.
The victim told police they received an email from someone posing as a friend, asking for a favour involving electronic gift cards.
Believing the message to be genuine, the individual purchased a $300 gift card from an online retailer and sent it via email.
Shortly afterward, the same contact requested an additional $600.
At that point, police say the victim realized they were being scammed.
By then, the initial $300 was already unrecoverable.
"This is a very common scam and victims can lose thousands of dollars," said Sgt. Mike Wicentowich. "To verify the request, call your friend first before committing to sending money."
Police urge residents to be cautious with electronic money transfers, especially when gift cards are involved.
They advise verifying the sender's identity by checking the email address carefully and contacting the person directly if a request seems unusual.
Gift cards are a frequent tool used by scammers, who often impersonate friends, relatives, or authority figures to pressure victims into sending funds quickly.
Once the codes on the back of the cards are sent, the money is impossible to recover.
The Trail Times asked Sgt. Wicentowich how bystanders can help prevent these scams if they suspect someone is being targeted; for example, seeing a person buying hundreds of dollars’ worth of gift cards in a store.
“Some stores have a program to prevent this, but it is always good to start a conversation,” he replied.
“This is a pretty common scam, and many cases do not get reported."
People can help by letting the person know they’re aware of scams like this and asking about the purchase in a genuine, non-confrontational way, he added.
“Electronic scams are the rage right now, and I hope the law catches up to help prevent them.”
Trail RCMP continue to monitor reports of fraud in the region and encourage anyone who has been targeted to report the scam.
