Barrie Police are on the lookout for two men in connection to a reported gift card scam incident at a store. Police say they were notified of the incident after a local retailer found a cash shortage connected to gift card transactions. According to police, around Sept. 17, two suspects entered the Bayfield Street store around 8:30 p.m. and picked up several gift cards and brought them to the cash register, where one suspect provided money for the cashier to load onto the cards. Police say while the cashier was distracted by the suspect, the second suspect swapped the loaded cards and put empty ones in their place. The suspects then asked the cashier for their money back, claiming they would come back with smaller bills to complete the transaction. With their cash returned, police say the suspects left the store with the loaded gift cards. Police say the men in question may be connected to similar gift card frauds reported at nearly three dozen stores across the province. Police are encouraging retail store employees to exercise caution when dealing with transactions involving gift cards or large sums of cash. Police say distraction techniques often include repeated questions, acting confused, engaging in conversation, becoming agitated or accusing the cashier of some wrongdoing. Additionally, police recommend staff keep cards in their possession until the transaction is complete. Anyone with information about these incidents or about the two suspects is asking to complete an online report on the Barrie Police website.
