A man from Nanaimo recently came forward to RCMP about a scam he fell victim to over the course of several years.
Nanaimo RCMP says the fraud started when the victim responded to a message sent to him on Facebook Messenger.
The fraudster was claiming to be a friend from high school.
This individual told the victim about a US government grant related to COVID where he could receive upwards of $90,000.
The victim then reportedly called the number provided and was told the money would be delivered to him via a FedEx package.
According to RCMP, after many more phone calls back and forth, the victim was contacted and told that the truck carrying his grant money had been stopped and that the money had been confiscated by the Chemainus RCMP.
The victim was then told that in order to retrieve the money he was required to purchase gift cards totalling $22,000.
After becoming suspicious, police say the victim eventually contacted his friend who the fraudster was pretending to be.
This friend said that he did not contact the victim and that his Facebook account had been hacked.
Nanaimo RCMP wants to note that FedEx would never require anyone to purchase gift cards in order to have shipment released.
Anyone who may have experienced a similar series of events should contact their local police department and report the situation.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is a free and easy resource to access for any questions or concerns regarding potential fraud.
