Fraudsters recently managed to get $1.1 million from victims by posing as Chinese police or government officials, according to Richmond RCMP.
Seven cases were reported to Richmond RCMP between March 1 and April 8, and, of these, four victims handed over money to these impersonators.
"These fraudsters can be very convincing," said Sgt. Dave Au of Richmond RCMP's Organized Crime Unit. "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."
"These types of scams continue to surface in our community and unfortunately people continue to fall prey to these fraudsters," said Cpl. 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 are reminding 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.
Police encourages anyone who has been the victim of a suspected fraud to report it to the police of jurisdiction.
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