Scammers constructed elaborate ‘foreign police station’ to scam B.C. woman out of $1 million: RCMP

Police in Burnaby say a woman is out $1 million after an elaborate scam involving a fake police station.

Police in Burnaby, B.C., say scammers posing as foreign law enforcement went to great lengths to convince a resident of the city she was under investigation and needed to pay them $1 million in “bail.”

“Consistent with other reports across the Lower Mainland, the victim was contacted by scammers posing as employees of a telephone company in June,” Burnaby RCMP said in a news release Thursday.

“The victim was told she was linked to a fraud investigation and was eventually redirected to a ‘foreign police station,’ where she spoke to several people she believed were police officers.”

The scammers then moved communication to a video conference that featured “an elaborate police station” scene in the background, Mounties said.

According to police, the fake officers also told the victim her passport and driver’s licence numbers, making their claims even more believable.

In the end, the victim made four large transfers to the scammers between July and September, totalling $1 million, RCMP said. The victim believed making the payments was necessary to avoid having to travel abroad.

“This type of fraud is not new, but the construction of an elaborate police station is new,” said Cpl. Mike Kalanj, in the release.

“These scammers continually develop new angles to get your money. Always be skeptical when unknown individuals are asking for personal details or money.”

Anyone who receives a similar phone call should hang up and call their local police immediately, Burnaby RCMP said.

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