The LaSalle Police Service has created a simple crime prevention campaign to hopefully help curb gift card scams. We will be kicking off the campaign on Thursday, December 8th at 10 am with our community partners at Rexall Pharmacy at 5881 Malden Road, LaSalle along with Windsor Essex County Crime Stoppers.

An information page on gift card scams can be found on our website that explains how to prevent becoming a victim of gift card scams as well as what to do if you become a victim of the scam.
https://www.lasallepolice.ca/gift-card-scams/

Officers of the LaSalle Police Service will be visiting businesses throughout LaSalle where gift cards are sold and request that they display a sign that advises gift card purchasers to stop and read the sign first. The message is “Stop. Before you buy that gift card read this first. Did you receive a phone call from someone saying that you have to buy gift cards in order to pay a debt and to stay out of trouble with the law? Don’t do it. It’s a scam! Call the police.” There is a QR code on the sign that will bring you to the LaSalle Police Service gift card scam page for further information.

Any business that sells gift cards that didn’t receive a sign and would like to help us in crime prevention are welcome to contact Senior Constable Terry Seguin to obtain one at tseguin@lasallepolice.ca

There are many types of online, phone, text message, and e-mail scams but one thing remains constant, fraudsters continue to try to get our hard-earned cash by cheating or scaring us out of it. One very common way that these fraudsters try to get our money or by scaring us with a fake emergency or by telling us that we or a loved one are in trouble with the law or government somehow and the only way to resolve it is by making immediate payment by way of gift cards.

Of course, there are a number of methods that scammers use to get our money such as wire service, bitcoin or actually sending a person to your house to pick up the money but for this initiative, we are focusing on gift cards…for now.

For a more detailed list of current frauds and scams please visit the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre Website at:
https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/scams-fraudes/azindex-eng.htm

as well as the Competition Bureau of Canada’s Little Black Book of Scams at:
https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/vwapj/CB-lBBS2-EN.pdf/$file/CB-lBBS2-EN.pdf