Warning rise in calls involving fraudsters posing as police

Richmond

2024-04-19 09:47 PDT

File # 2024-11098

Richmond RCMP issue public warning regarding fraudsters posing as police following an increase in reports.

Between March 1, 2024 and April 8, 2024 Richmond RCMP has received seven reports involving fraudsters allegedly posing as police and demanding money. The total reported loss is over $ 1.1 million. In three instances no money was sent.

All of these investigations involved individuals posing as Chinese police or government officials.

These fraudsters can be very convincing. They employ various tactics to trick people including spoofing legitimate phone numbers, or making threats of police action if payment is not made. Ultimately, they have one objective, to get your money, says Sergeant Dave Au, Richmond RCMP Organized Crime Unit.

These types of scams continue to surface in our community and unfortunately people continue to fall prey to these fraudsters, says Corporal Adriana O’Malley, Richmond RCMP Media Relations Officer, These frauds can have a devastating financial and emotional impact on the victims which is why we continue to issue these public warnings in the hope of preventing further victimization.

Richmond RCMP want to remind the public that if someone claiming to be from a government agency asks for Bitcoin, Google Play or iTunes gift cards as a method of payment hang up immediately and report it to police.

There are a number of frauds and scams that utilize similar tactics, including the romance scam which has led to significant financial losses for Richmond residents . Richmond RCMP advise on-going discussion with loved ones about these scams in order to promote greater awareness. Richmond RCMP recommend you regularly check the Canada Anti-Fraud website to learn more about the latest scams and frauds affecting our community.

Richmond RCMP encourages anyone who has been the victim of a suspected fraud to report it to the police of jurisdiction.

Released by

Cpl. Adriana O'Malley

Email: richmond_media@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
Website: richmond.rcmp.ca

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