Nanaimo RCMP is warning the community of a fake jewelry scam after a senior lost $150.
The incident occurred around 12 p.m. on June 7th in the 200 block of Irwin Street in Nanaimo, when a 70-year-old man was walking roadside and approached by four people—two adults and two youths.
Police said the family were in a newer model Dodge Caravan, and were described to be of Middle Eastern descent.
The driver is said to have appeared frantic, allegedly telling the man that his family “lost all of their money” and were low on gas, and needed money to purchase tickets to board a BC Ferries boat.
He continued by saying that they had a flight to Toronto and were scheduled to fly out of Vancouver, but they weren’t sure if they would be able to make it in time.
The victim reportedly felt sorry for the family and didn’t hesitate to hand over the $150 in cash that he was carrying in his wallet.
The driver was grateful and gave him two large rings from his fingers and a thick gold chain, claiming the jewelry was worth much more than $150.
He promised that once they were in Toronto he would call and arrange repayment. The man gave the victim a phone number to reach and drove off.
After examining the jewelry, the victim decided to take the items to an accredited jewelry store to be assessed.
After being told the items were worthless, he went to another jewelry store and received the same assessment.
The victim then tried calling the phone number provided and it was not answered.
“These types of scams happen from time to time and in various communities,” said R/Cst Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.
“We are all Good Samaritans at heart but sometimes a degree of skepticism is necessary to keep us and our hard-earned money safe from fraudsters.”
If you wish to learn more about scams, you can visit Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s website.
