A male is in custody after tampering with gift cards at a grocery store in Oshawa.
On Tuesday, December 16, 2025, members of Central East Division responded to a fraud-in-progress at the Real Canadian Superstore located at 481 Gibb Street. Loss prevention officials contacted police after they observed a male taking tampered gift cards out of his pockets and placing them on shelves near legitimate gift cards.
Police attended the area and took the suspect into custody without incident. A search of the suspect and his vehicle located a large quantity of tampered gift cards, including those for: the LCBO, Home Depot, Petro Canada, Canadian Tire, Roots, the Keg, Amazon, Mastercard, and Ultimate Dining. The value of tampered gift cards would have been over $5000 if purchased by the public.
Roman TRYHUBETS, age 49 from Ukraine is charged with: Fraud Over $5000, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5000, and Breach of Recognizance.
He was held for a bail hearing.
This scam can be done in two ways once a criminal has stolen or manipulated gift cards from store racks. Criminals will either record the gift card numbers and PINs or replace legitimate gift card barcodes with fraudulent barcodes, before resealing the packaging so it looks untouched. The tampered cards are then placed back on shelves for unsuspecting customers to purchase. Once purchased and activated, the funds on the card are immediately drained by the criminals using the stolen details or swapped barcode.
For more information and to better protect yourself, please visit:
Anyone with about this or similar incidents is asked to contact D/Cst. Azzano of the Financial Crimes Unit at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 5364.
Anonymous information can be sent to Durham Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.durhamregionalcrimestoppers.ca and tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward.
The information in this media release contains facts and circumstances that have been obtained from a police investigation. These allegations have yet to be proven in court.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
