Every year, thousands of unsuspecting Canadians are victims of fraud. One type of frequently reported fraud that is especially concerning to Retail Council of Canada (RCC) and its retail members is gift card fraud. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, in 2021, $3.8 million in losses were reported due to gift card losses. Clever scammers, posing as government agencies, law enforcement, or lottery companies trick people by instructing them to purchase gift cards from reputable retailers as a form of payment for anything from taxes to fines.
To help raise awareness of this concerning practice, Retail Council of Canada has partnered with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center (CAFC) on an in-store and social media campaign developed to draw attention to the most commonly used gift card fraud tactics. Retailers of all sizes across Canada will be encouraged to share this message as part of Fraud Prevention Month that begins on March 1, 2022.
“Supporting our retailers to help their customers from falling victim to gift card fraud by providing print-ready posters, stickers, and pre-written social media messages is something RCC is eager to do as part of Fraud Prevention Month. With the collaboration of the OPP and the CAFC to help broadcast and reinforce this message, our combined efforts will go even further in protecting innocent people from being victimized” said Rui Rodrigues, Retail Council of Canada Executive Advisor, Loss Prevention & Risk Management.
“Working together to help prevent fraud and protect our communities is the most impactful way we can bring about positive change. We look forward to continuing to engage in initiatives that help keep all citizens safe from fraud-related criminal activity” said Avery Bassett, Sergeant, OPP Community Safety Services.
“We encourage the public to report their frauds to police of jurisdiction and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC). We are delighted that through this collaborative effort, anyone who might fall victim to these unscrupulous acts will have a better understanding of what to do if they become a victim so we can be even more effective in disrupting and preventing frauds.” said John Armit, A/Detective Sergeant, Anti-Rackets Branch, Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC).
SOURCE Retail Council of Canada