Police warn of fake gold scam artists

North Vancouver RCMP are warning the public about a group of fraud artists running a "fake gold scam" making the rounds through Lower Mainland communities. So far, no incidents have been reported in North Vancouver, but RCMP are issuing the warning after several incidents have been reported in various lower mainland communities since beginning of October.

The scam involves multiple people and an elaborate ruse. "They put on a pretty compelling show," said Cst. Mansoor Sahak of the North Vancouver RCMP. "Sometimes it's a man, woman and child, and in other cases, it's a group of men," he said. "In some cases, the group is driving a rental vehicle."

One person from the group will approach a potential victim, claim they are in trouble of some sort, and ask for the person's help. "They wear layers of gold-coloured necklaces, rings on just about every finger, big gaudy earrings, and even the children are decked out in sparkling finery. The men are usually wearing business attire, and the women are dressed in clothing reminiscent of middle eastern cultures." They claim to be very wealthy foreigners from the Middle East, and that due to a technical problem with the Canadian banking system, are unable to access funds from their "vast wealth" back home. "That's when they present a tidy, seemingly mutually beneficial solution," said Cst, Mansoor Sahak. "They offer to sell some of their family's 'highly valuable' jewelry for a discount."

Of course, the jewelry is fake, and once the scammers have the cash in hand, the unwitting victim goes to a jeweler to sell the items only to discover they are all but worthless. "Our concern is both for those who stand to lose money, and for the fact the scammers are involving children in these offences," said Cst. Sahak. "Anyone who is approached by such a group should walk away and immediately call 911. If you have already been approached by these people, please call your local police and make a report."

For more information on fraud prevention, please visit the "Safety First" section of the North Vancouver RCMP Website, or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

AT A GLANCE: Tips for recognizing the Fake Gold Scam

• Scammer approaches their victim and offers to sell them gold jewelry, a transaction is completed and the victim later discovers the gold is not real;
• Scammer approaches an individual and asks for money, often claiming to have lost their wallet and needs money for hospital bills or to escape an abusive domestic relationship. In this scenario, the con-artist offers gold jewelry to the victim as collateral. The victim later discovers the gold is not real and does not hear back from the suspect;
• Scammers sometime gift their victim gold as a thank for giving them direction. when the victim declines, the scammers take their jewelry back along with the victim's jewelry;
• Scammers are usually both adult males and females and oftentimes appear South Asian or Middle Eastern, and sometimes claim to be from the Middle East;
• Scammers are usually associated to and traveling around in rental vehicles, sometimes with small children.