Officers from Cheshire Police are urging residents to remain cautions following reports of a nationwide gift card scam.

‘Gift card draining’ involves the suspects copying the codes to the gift cards prior to the legitimate purchase of the card.

This means that once a genuine customer buys the card and tops it up, the suspects have automated bots running in the background which allow them to drain the funds and use the card before the genuine customer is able to use it themselves.

There have been a number of reports of the scam across the country, and two men were arrested in Winsford on Thursday 26 March in relation to the scam.

The pair, aged 45 from Telford and 35, from Woodford Green, were both arrested on suspicion of theft and going equipped. They have since been released on bail pending further enquiries.

Initial intelligence suggests that the pair may have been travelling across Cheshire in the days prior to their arrests, including Cheshire Oaks, Runcorn, Neston and Chester.

A Cheshire Police spokesperson said:

“This Is a concerning series and I would urge residents to be extremely cautious when purchasing gift cards.

“Where possible, purchase cards which have not been on open display, if not, check for any signs of damage or tampering before purchasing the cards.”