Oak Bay police are warning residents to be on alert after a local senior was scammed out of $2,000 through a gift card fraud earlier this week.
According to Oak Bay Police, officers received a report on January 27th involving a senior who was persuaded by unknown individuals to purchase gift cards and provide the card information as payment.
The suspects could not be identified, and the funds could not be recovered once the cards were redeemed.
Police say the incident follows a common and growing scam pattern, where fraudsters pose as legitimate businesses, government agencies, or law enforcement and pressure victims into making quick payments using gift cards.
Police are reminding the public that no legitimate organization will ever request payment through gift cards. Any unexpected demand involving urgency or secrecy should be treated as a red flag.
“Residents are encouraged to pause, verify the request with a trusted third
party, and contact police if they believe they are being targeted,” read a media statement from the detachment.
While urging caution around fraud, Oak Bay Police also shared details from a recent impaired driving enforcement effort.
On the evening of January 31st, officers conducted a roadblock in south Oak Bay targeting impaired drivers. During the check, a 24-year-old novice driver with a Class 7 licence was suspended after being found to have alcohol in their system.
Police remind drivers that those holding a Class 7 “N” or “L” licence are prohibited from operating a vehicle with any alcohol in their blood.
Anyone with information related to these or other incidents is asked to contact the Oak Bay Police Department.
