Two men who placed bar code stickers from stolen gift cards on grocery store meat to get them activated at the checkout are facing charges of fraud.
Investigators from Waterloo Regional Police Service’s general investigations unit say between October 31, 2024, and January 29, 2025, two males attended grocery stores in Kitchener, Cambridge, and Waterloo and fraudulently obtained activated gift cards.
They then went to stores with fraudulent barcode stickers associated with the unactivated gift cards and placed the bar codes on top of the barcodes of similarly priced meat products.
When one of the meat products was selected by an unsuspecting customer and scanned at a checkout, the gift card associated to the barcode placed there by the suspects was activated.
On Jan. 29, at around 6 p.m., the males attended a grocery store in the area of Erb Street West and Fischer-Hallman Road in Waterloo, where they were observed by store employees placing barcodes on high-value meat products and leaving the store.
The employees contacted police and noted that the males had left the area in a black Ford F150.
Police responded to the area and conducted a traffic stop of the Ford truck. The males were subsequently arrested and charged with fraud under $5,000.
The men, a 38-year-old and a 30-year-old from York Region, were held in police custody for a bail hearing.
The investigation remains ongoing by WRPS’ General Investigations Unit, and additional charges are anticipated.
Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators at 519-570-9777, extension 6370, or to remain anonymous, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Can you spot the scam?
— Waterloo Regional Police (@WRPSToday) January 31, 2025
The suspects apply unactivated gift card barcodes to packages of meat. Unsuspecting shoppers who purchase the meat with altered barcodes inadvertently activate the gift cards.
WRPS investigators have arrested and charged two males in connection to this… pic.twitter.com/i9ykroI23q
