Employee fired after B.C. city finds $295K in ‘unreconciled’ gift card purchases

An employee has been fired and police have been called in after a review by the city of Richmond, B.C., found nearly $300,000 in “unreconciled” gift card purchases, the municipality announced Thursday.

Gift cards were purchased by the city over a three-year period as part of an “employee recognition program,” a statement from the City of Richmond said.

A review of the program found that $446,000 in gift cards were purchased between Jan. 1, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2024, but only $151,000 in gift cards have been accounted for.

“During a comprehensive review of the program, the city identified inconsistencies in gift card purchases,” the statement from the city said.

“The review found a total of approximately $295,000 of gift card costs remain unreconciled, As a result, the city is continuing to conduct a forensic audit of gift card purchases and has referred the matter to the RCMP. In addition, following a personnel investigation, an individual’s employment with the city has concluded.”

No additional information will be provided while an investigation is underway, according to the city, which says its employee recognition programs are being “restructured” to eliminate the use of gift cards.