Yet another online scam is targeting Canadians.
The South Simcoe Police Service in Bradford/Innisfil, Ontario are reminding the public that there is an ongoing scam involving Google Play Store gift cards.
According to the media release, officers are receiving reports from citizens who were contacted through their computers and phones by suspects claiming to be acting as either a government agency or a credit card company.
The callers tell the victims they owe money on the taxes or have outstanding credit card charges that need to be paid in full to avoid a significant penalty. Further, the scammers will ask the victim to buy a Google Play gift cards typically in the amount of $500 CAD, then instruct them to scratch the back of the card to reveal the code to the scammer.
Once the scammer receives the code, they then ask the victim to repeat the process to get more money, or immediately stop the line of communication.
Google will not refund the victim once the code has been provided to the scammer.
Additionally, the South Simcoe Police Service is warning the public to guard themselves against the crime by not disclosing any personal details or banking information to anyone over the phone or internet. Moreover, government agencies and credit card companies will never ask for gift cards as payment.
If you ever get this phone call, hang up, and if you get an email or text, delete it.
Lastly, if you’ve fallen victim to this scam, immediately contact the police and report the incident.
Source: South Simcoe Police Service
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