Nanaimo Mounties are warning people to stay vigilant after a local resident lost $350 thinking they were sending gift cards to a friend, which turned out to be a scam. (Image Credit: File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Jordan Davidson

fraud alert

‘Be suspicious:’ Nanaimo RCMP warns of gift card scams

Feb 20, 2026 | 4:09 PM

NANAIMO — Gift cards remain a favoured tool used by thieves to fleece unsuspecting victims.

Recently, a Nanaimo resident opened an email believed to be from a close family friend in the United States, asking for help in buying $350 worth of digital Amazon gift cards as a birthday gift.

Nanaimo Res. Cst. Gary O’Brien said the local followed through with the request, later realizing their friend’s email account had been hacked.

“…the money was actually going to the scammer. We don’t know who that person could be. It could be anybody in the universe, really. So they reported it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, they compiled that data, and we keep it for police purposes.”

Cst. O’Brien said gift cards are very popular with scammers as they are easily available for purchase and come in a wide variety of gift options and price ranges.

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O’Brien said scammers will also ask a potential victim to send them a photo of the code on the back of the gift card used to activate it.

Once they have the code, your money is gone, with little chance of recovery.

“Always be suspicious of any urgent or unexpected request for gift cards, especially if it’s from someone you don’t know. Verify it if you can through any other method. Maybe call, text, or speak to someone personally.”

If any email with a request for money appears suspicious, not legitimate, or too good to be true, don’t send anything without investigating further, O’Brien noted.

“It’s your money, you have to protect it.”

If you suspect you’ve become the victim of fraud, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by going to their website, or by calling 1-888-495-8501.

According the the Anti-Fraud Centre, tens of thousands of victims reported losing well over half a billion dollars annual in a wide range of scams and frauds.

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