At approximately 12:13 pm on November 22, Powell River RCMP received a report of a gift card fraud. The victim received a phone call from a person who stated they were from Publisher’s Clearing House and was promised $7.5 million in exchange for Visa gift cards.
The victim was instructed to buy $16,450 in gift cards over several days and send pictures of the cards to a number provided by the caller. The investigation is ongoing.
Powell River RCMP is reminding everyone that no legitimate business will ask customers to send gift cards as payment or in exchange for prizes. Police are also asking employees of businesses that sell gift cards to be on the lookout for customers purchasing large amounts of gift cards, to inform customers of gift card fraud and to phone police if any transaction appears suspicious.
Anyone with information about the incident above is asked to contact Powell River RCMP at 604.485.6255, or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1.800.222.TIPS (8477) or online at bccrimestoppers.com.
