A 49-year-old man is in custody after Durham police say he was caught in an alleged gift card fraud scheme at a grocery store in Oshawa.
Police responded Tuesday to a suspected fraud in progress at the Real Canadian Superstore on Gibb Street. Investigators say loss prevention staff contacted police after watching a man allegedly pull tampered gift cards from his pockets and place them back onto store shelves near legitimate gift cards.
Officers arrived and arrested the suspect without incident. Police say a search of the man and his vehicle uncovered a large quantity of allegedly altered gift cards, including cards linked to LCBO, Home Depot, Petro-Canada, Canadian Tire, Roots, The Keg, Amazon, Mastercard, and Ultimate Dining. Investigators estimate the value of the tampered gift cards would have exceeded $5,000 if purchased by customers.
Roman Tryhubets, 49, is charged with:
-
Fraud over $5,000
-
Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
-
Breach of recognizance
He was held for a bail hearing.
How gift card fraud works, police say
Police warn this type of scam is often carried out in two common ways:
-
Criminals record gift card numbers and PINs, then wait for the card to be purchased and activated before draining the balance.
-
Criminals swap barcodes (placing fraudulent barcodes over legitimate ones), reseal the packaging to look untouched, and then drain the funds once the card is activated.
Anyone with information about this incident or similar cases is asked to contact D/Cst. Azzano of the Financial Crimes Unit at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 5364.
