Police warn fake jewelry scammers part of ‘criminal network’ on Vancouver Island

The West Shore RCMP says scammers are selling fake gold jewelry outside retail stores. (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Mounties on Vancouver Island are warning the public about a string of scams reported in recent weeks involving fake gold jewelry.

The West Shore RCMP says scammers are approaching people in parking lots outside busy retail stores near Victoria.

The suspects claim they have run out of money for food or gas and then offer to sell the victims their gold jewelry for cash, according to police.

“The jewelry offered in these situations has been reported to be fake or of little to no value,” says a statement Tuesday from the West Shore RCMP. “Once cash is exchanged, the suspects quickly leave the area.”

Cpl. Nancy Saggar of the West Shore RCMP says at least nine such incidents have been reported to the detachment since the start of the year.

“These fraudsters rely on sympathy and urgency to pressure victims into handing over money,” she added. “In several reported cases, the suspects had young children with them, which appeared to be used to gain trust and lower suspicion.”

Similar incidents have been reported recently in Nanaimo, where police say the suspects are believed to operating as part of an organized crime network.

The latest such fraud occurred at a local gas station on Feb. 6, the Nanaimo RCMP detachment said in a news release Tuesday.

The victim was approached by a man and a woman in a dark grey Volkswagen Tiguan, who said they desperately needed cash to buy gas to return to Victoria, police said.

The man offered the victim a gold ring that he claimed was worth $3,000 in exchange for $100 in cash.

The Nanaimo RCMP said the man felt bad for the couple, so he withdrew the money from a nearby ATM and accepted the ring in return. “The complainant then headed to the closest pawn shop, where he learned the ring was worthless,” the release said.

“These types of frauds occur from time to time in various communities,” Nanaimo RCMP Const. Gary O’Brien said in a statement.

“The suspects involved are known to be part of a larger criminal network who travel to various locations throughout Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland perpetuating these frauds.”

Investigators are urging the public to avoid buying jewelry from strangers in parking lots or other public places.

Anyone who is approached by a suspected scammer is asked to report it to police as quickly as possible.

“Timely reporting helps officers respond quickly and may prevent others from becoming victims,” the West Shore RCMP statement said.