Richmond residents are asked to be vigilant of the fake gold for cash scam which has reappeared in several communities this month.
The Lower Mainland District RCMP said in a release on Wednesday that reports of the scam came from various municipalities including Richmond, Coquitlam, Burnaby, Langley and New Westminster between Jan. 17 and 22.
The last time Richmond Mounties were notified of a gold scam was in 2019 when U.S. authorities contacted the RCMP of a scam gaining traction across the border, which involved fake gold Buddha statues, gold ingots or ancient letters.
According to the RCMP, this recent fake gold scam involves a couple – either a man and a woman or two men – who are described as Middle Eastern or self-described as individuals from Dubai.
The scam typically involves suspects travelling in a vehicle and approaching victims on the street, at gas stations, bus stops or parking lots and telling them they “have fallen on hard times and need to raise money to get home,” reads the release.
Victims are then offered fake gold jewelry in exchange for cash by the scammers. Some victims have turned over $790 in cash in recent incidents, according to police.
The vehicles that the pair have been seen travelling in have licence plates from Quebec, Alberta and B.C. and are primarily rental cars.
The Real Time Intelligence Centre British Columbia (RTIC-BC), which identifies trends and patterns, noticed a recent pattern in the gold scam around the Lower Mainland.
RTIC Inspector Vaz Kassam said they provide information to frontline officers who will then proceed with investigations.
In the past, Richmond Mounties have conducted successful investigation against fake gold scams in 2015 and 2017.
Chinese national Bao Sheng Zhong was arrested and charged by the Richmond RCMP in 2015 for a scheme involving fake, purportedly-ancient Chinese gold Buddha figurines and ingots.
In January 2018, Dejin Xu and Zhong Yang – also Chinese nationals – were arrested and charged in connection to a similar scam to Zhong’s case.
Fake Chinese gold schemes first appeared in Richmond in 2010 and have since appeared in various forms around the world.
Those with information or was a victim of a recent fake gold scam, contact your local police or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
- With files from Kirsten Clarke/Richmond News
