Toronto: The Toronto Police Service’s Financial Crimes Unit has arrested three people and seized around $500,000 worth of fake gift cards from their possession. Along with this, a fake lab has also been busted.
In a release released on Thursday, investigators said that a fake lab was being operated between July 2022 and January 2023 by the suspects to prepare this gift card.
On January 25, 2023, authorities obtained search warrants from a Toronto-based business establishment and a house in Richmond Hill and searched these places, and police reportedly found gift cards worth half a million dollars from the place.
Along with this, the police also found all the equipment that were required to prepare and change them.
Police said fake identity documents issued by the government were also recovered from these places.
Richmond Hill residents Iouri Perett, 38, and Vitalii Fokov, 35, have been arrested and charged. Elisaveta Perrett, 34, of Richmond Hill, has also been charged on one count of dealing in altered gift cards.
People are being advised by the police to check any gift card thoroughly before buying it. In particular, the bar code on the bar code and near the pin area should be checked and at the same time, check your receipt and make sure that the serial number of the type of gift card you have purchased matches.
Apart from this, the police said that your card should be registered online as soon as possible and your PIN should not be shared with anyone.