Police warn people to keep an eye on their credit cards

Regina police are warning residents about a recent string of credit-card thefts in the city, which has led to thousands of dollars in illegal purchases.

According to police, the suspects use techniques to distract their victims in order to steal their credit cards. The suspects typically target a lone elderly person in a public setting under the pretence of returning dropped money.

Police described one attempt where a suspect showed a victim a $20 bill and indicated they believed the victim had dropped it. The victim opened their wallet to see if they were missing any money, and the suspect picked up the bill and handed the money to the victim. While keeping them distracted, the suspect took the victim’s credit card.

Another incident involved a suspect approaching the victim in a parking lot while they were loading groceries into their vehicle. The suspect told the victim that there was money under their vehicle, while a second suspect took the victim’s wallet while they were distracted.

One of the suspects later returned the wallet to the victim, saying they had dropped it. While the suspects had the wallet, police said, nearby attempts to purchase items and withdraw money were made using the victim’s credit card.

Police said incidents such as these have been happening in Regina recently, and have led to thousands of dollars in credit-card withdrawals and purchases. Police are asking residents to be aware of these attempts, and ensure their wallets are secure after a suspicious encounter with someone.

Anyone with information that could help police can contact the Regina Police Service at 306-7776500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800222-8477 (TIPS).