A bride and groom’s wedding day is meant to be one of the happiest days of their lives — the start of a new journey together. But a local couple’s special day has turned into anything but.
The day of their wedding a thief targeted the couple’s gift envelopes and made away with an unknown amount of cash and gift cards.
Investigators believe the wedding gift envelopes were accessed, despite security measures put in place to protect them, but it wasn’t until some time later that the couple noticed some of the wedding cards had been tampered with and gifts were missing.
“The reality is that people are targeting envelopes often because they contain cash or gift cards, things that are easy to redeem,” said Bowen Osoko, acting media spokesperson for the Victoria police.
“Weddings are supposed to be this joyous start to a new life together and for that to be taken away in part by a theft like this, it takes away from the joy.”
The theft has left the couple shaken, and has them questioning who could have done this to them.
But they aren’t the only ones to be targeted. In another similar incident, a bride and groom also had gift cards and cash stolen on their special day, prompting separate investigations by police, the first of which began six months ago.
Now, investigators believe more victims could be out there but are too ashamed to come forward.
“We’re pretty sure this has happened to folks who we haven’t yet heard from,” Osoko said, adding changing technology, such as gift and pre-paid cards has made this type of theft more prevalent in recent years.
At the height of Victoria’s wedding season, police are warning couples to be cautious to avoid becoming victims.
Among measures the bride and groom can do to protect themselves include creating an online registry and having gifts sent to their home, placing the gift table far from an exit, asking a trustworthy person to act as a gift attendant, or purchasing wedding insurance.
Anyone who has experienced wedding gift or wedding gift card theft, or has information related to these incidents is asked to call police at 250-995-7654 or Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
