Photo: File

A Trail victim was instructed to purchase $10,000 in gift cards.

A telephone scam selling gift cards defrauded a Trail resident out of $10,000.

On Saturday, May 3 a Trail RCMP officer received a report of a victim being defrauded out of $10,000 after falling prey to a telephone scam in Trail.

The victim received a phone call from an unknown suspect claiming to be a security officer from a financial institution. The victim was instructed to purchase $10,000 in gift cards and send the information to the suspect as part of his investigation.

The suspect remained on the phone while the victim withdrew the money from the bank and purchased the gift cards.

The victim was eventually stopped by employees at a local business who recognized that it was a scam. The victim contacted her financial institutions as a precaution to warn them about the fraud.

The funds are not recoverable.

“Please do not purchase gift cards and send the information on the cards to anyone over the phone. The money is not recoverable nor protected from your bank insurance,” said Sgt. Mike Wicentowich.