As you grab a gift card to finish your last-minute shopping the LaSalle Police Service is issuing caution.
Constable Terry Seguin said many scammers are trying to catch people off guard.
"Even though you've grabbed the gift card off the rack, gone to the clerk, the clerk rings it in when you get home or you give that gift card sometimes there is a zero balance," said Seguin.
While this is not a new issue or concern, Seguin warns people should be particularly aware this time of year.
"Inspect [the card], run your finger over it, make sure there's no sticker over the barcode that somebody has put on as a fake barcode. There should be no stickers over it, make sure that the packaging has not been tampered with or damaged in any way," said Seguin.
Seguin also recommends hanging on to receipts because the store or merchant can often offer refunds in case of scams.
For details on other common scams, click here.
