Winkler Police are reminding residents to stay vigilant against scammers.

The biggest clue is receiving a request for payment via gift cards.

"If someone online is requesting that you purchase gift cards in order to send payment to them then they are almost certainly attempting to defraud you," Police Chief Ryan Hunt says.

"Legitimate organizations will not ask you to make payment in this manner," he adds. "If you are unsure whether it is a scam please take the time to talk it over with a family member, check the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre website or call your local police service."

Police recently received a report of fraud involving a Facebook message which offered a government grant of $150,000. In order for the complainant to receive the grant money, the fraudster first required a large payment to be made in the form of Google Play cards. The complainant proceeded to purchase the cards and provide the card numbers to the fraudster. The complainant was unable to recover the lost funds and was warned of the dangers of online scams.

A female reported an attempted fraud that occurred on June 1st regarding a job posting on a local website for a cleaning position. The fraudster advised the female she would be mailed a cheque to cover the cost of cleaning supplies, and the female became suspicious and did not respond to any more emails. The female later received a cheque in the amount of $2850, which she determined to be fake and did not attempt to deposit. A similar report was received from another individual on July 2nd.

Earlier this month, an elderly female reported an attempted fraud involving an individual who claimed to be calling from her banking institution. The female was advised her credit card was compromised and she allowed the fraudster to access her computer. The female was then advised that funds were deposited into her credit card account, and she was requested to purchase a large amount of Google Play cards. The female made three attempts to purchase the cards, but the transactions did not go through and her credit card was declined.

The fraudster then advised the female the funds deposited into her credit card account had been removed.

The female was advised of the dangers of gift card scams and to have her computer examined.