Police are issuing a warning to the public following a recent spate of gift card scams appearing to target members of Sydney's multicultural community, particularly the Chinese community.
Since September 2026, police across Sydney's Metropolitan Region have received multiple reports of victims receiving calls or text messages from a person claiming to be medical staff, or an old friend, and being asked to purchase gift cards and provide the redemption code.
Victims have reported losses of thousands of dollars.
Incidents of note include:
- On Tuesday, 22 September 2026, a 54-year-old woman received a message via an online messaging platform from a person claiming to be an optometrist, who confirmed the woman's appointment for the following day. The next day, the woman received another phone call from the same person and was asked to purchase gift cards from a post office. She was then instructed to reveal the PIN numbers and send photographs of the cards. The woman provided the PIN numbers for gift cards, which had an estimated value of approximately $7,000; however, she was subsequently unable to contact the optometrist. Officers attached to Ryde Police Area Command were notified and commenced inquiries into the incident.
- On Friday, 11 September 2026, a 63-year-old man received a phone call from a person who allegedly impersonated an old friend. The man was asked to purchase gift cards from supermarkets, reveal the PIN codes and send them to the caller. The man purchased several gift cards and provided the PIN numbers. The cards had an estimated value of approximately $9,000. Officers attached to Auburn Police Area Command were notified and commenced inquiries into the incident.
- On Tuesday 29 September 2026, a 72-year-old man had a doctor's appointment scheduled the same day and received a call from a person claiming to be his doctor. The caller instructed the man to purchase gift cards and send the redemption codes back. The man purchased approximately $9000 worth of gift card and sent about $7000 worth of codes before family members stopped him. The incident was reported to officers attached to St George Police Area Command who commenced an investigation.
Cybercrime Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Matthew Craft said members of the community need to beware of these gift card scams and never send the redemption code to anyone you may be suspicious of.
"Scammers are becoming more sophisticated and are using people's trust by impersonating medical professionals, businesses and even friends," Detective Superintendent Craft said.
"If you receive an unexpected call or message requesting gift cards, stop, hang up and verify the request independently by speaking with someone you trust in person."
"We are particularly concerned about reports affecting members of our multicultural communities and urge anyone who believes they have been targeted to report the matter to police immediately."
Advice for the community:
- Genuine doctors and authorities would never ask you to purchase gift card and provide the PIN codes.
- If you receive suspicious calls from a person claiming to be medical staff, do not follow their instructions, search the phone number of the clinic or the business from the official website, and give them a call to verify the identity of the caller.
- Do not send gift card codes through text messages.
Anyone who thinks they may have received a scam call should report it to the National Anti-Scam Centre, and anyone who has fallen victim to a scam, is urged to report it via the ReportCyber portal.
Victims can also attend their local police stations to make a report or call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Multilingual officers are stationed at various police stations.
You can ring your local police station ahead of time to check which languages are available. Police also use tools such as the Language + App to communicate with non-English speakers.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.Information is managed on a confidential basis. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
