West Shore RCMP have issued a public warning that fraudsters in the area are selling fake gold.
Police say they were contacted by multiple people on Sunday, July 2nd, reporting that a group of parking lot fraudsters may be active in the West Shore area.
The suspects typically appear to be a normal-seeming family of three or four in a vehicle that includes an adult man and woman, plus one or two children.
Police said the scammers engage with their victims in high traffic areas such as parking lots or gas stations.
The perpetrators will make an effort to sell the gold or jewelry belonging to the victims, often accompanied by a compelling narrative that tugs at the heartstrings, claiming an urgent need for cash to cover expenses such as gas, ferry tickets, child care, or other unforeseen family crises.
In order to address their purported emergency, the culprits will propose selling the valuable items well below their estimated worth, emphasizing the importance of obtaining immediate cash.
Subsequently, the victims discover that the jewelry they purchased is, in fact, entirely counterfeit and significantly less valuable than initially portrayed.
Similar incidents were reported back in April when two West Shore residents were scammed by a couple selling jewelry they claimed was real, but was in fact fake.
Police say both victims reported being approached by the couple saying they had no money because the male suspect’s wallet had been lost or stolen. The female suspect was reportedly very emotional and was selling her jewelry.
Both those scams happened in Langford. One victim was approached by the couple on Rainville Road and the other was defrauded on the corner of Pickford Road and Kelly Road.
The suspects were travelling in a grey and black SUV with a female passenger and two young children in the back, according to police.
Anyone with information are asked to contact West Shore RCMP at (250) 474-2264.
