The NT are reminding residents to beware of online scams after a man from an NWT community suffered thousands of dollars in personal losses. 

The man, whose identity is being protected, was contacted via Facebook messenger earlier this month. He was told that he won a cash prize but in order to claim it he would have to purchase thousands of dollars of gift cards and send the pin numbers to the suspect. The victim believed the interaction to be legitimate and complied. 

advise that this scam has surfaced in varying versions over recent years. In some cases, like this one, victims are asked to send gift cards or money with a promise of a larger cash prize. In other cases, suspects obtain employment details through online phishing techniques and pose as victimsSA国际影视传媒� bosses to create a sense of urgency to send the gift card information right away. 

SA国际影视传媒淣T would like to remind people that if you are solicited to buy gift cards or send money to someone outside your circle of family and very close friends, it is very likely a scam,SA国际影视传媒� they said in a news release Friday.

SA国际影视传媒淭he also urges business owners to be alert to this scam, and question customers who are buying large amounts of gift cards, to make sure the person is not the unsuspecting victim of a fraud.SA国际影视传媒�

As the suspects of online scams are often from other countries, SA国际影视传媒渢his type of fraud is easy to prevent, but very difficult to investigate,SA国际影视传媒� Staff Sgt. Dean Riou said.   

Frauds and scams come in all different shapes and sizes. Examples can be found on the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) . 

Anyone with information on fraud or any other criminal activity is asked to call Yellowknife at 669-1111, or text: SA国际影视传媒渘wtnutipsSA国际影视传媒� plus your message to 274637.