The RCMP are once again warning the public that parking-lot fraudsters are active in the West Shore area.
West Shore RCMP Const. Andrew Matheson said Monday that police have received multiple reports of people being approached in parking lots and gas stations by “a normal-seeming family of three or four in a vehicle.”
A man and woman, with one or two children, tell an emotionally charged story about urgently needing cash for gas, ferry tickets or a family emergency.
They then try to sell the target gold jewelry, which is fake and almost worthless, at a price they say is well below its value to get cash quickly for their “emergency,” said Matheson.
The police investigation is ongoing, said Matheson, adding it’s important for the public to be aware of the scam and skeptical of strangers attempting to sell items on the street.
In April, two Langford residents were defrauded by a couple who said the man’s wallet had been stolen and they needed money for gasoline. The fraudsters offered to sell gold jewelry at low prices to be able to buy gas. The jewelry turned out to be fake.
The scam has also operated in Victoria. In November 2020, two fraudsters persuaded a 61-year-old man to pay almost $500 for fake gold jewelry.
At the time, Victoria police said the man was flagged down on Craigflower Road by two men in a parked vehicle. The two men persuaded the man to buy two gold rings and two gold chains.
When the man said he didn’t have enough money for the jewelry, they drove him to an ATM and stood by while he withdrew $460.
Saanich police received a similar report the next day, but the intended victim refused to pay for the fake jewelry.
Anyone with information about the fraudsters, or who has been a victim of a similar fraud and has not already reported it to police, is asked to call the West Shore RCMP non-emergency line at 250-474-2264.
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