RCMP in the Southern Interior are reminding people to be cautious about the ‘Fake Gold Scam’ which is on the rise once again in the region.

They say there have been reports in Kamloops, Kelowna, Penticton, Cranbrook, as well as the North Okanagan in June and July, which they say leads them to believe that the scammers are once again travelling in the region, after the number of instances were down slightly because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Generally these scammers approach their potential victims in higher traffic areas such as gas stations, grocery stores, shopping malls or plazas. They often target the kind of individuals who have a natural inclination to want to help someone in need or distress,” said Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey, the spokesperson for the Southeast District RCMP.

“As we continue to transition into our new normal, RCMP ask residents to use their common sense and intuition to avoid such scams that will hit you in your wallet.”

There were 61 reports of fake gold scams reported to police across the Southeast District between April and December 2019. Police estimate that people were conned out of about $15,000 in both small towns and larger cities.

“We recognize that many occurrences go unreported, as often times victims are embarrassed to acknowledge that they have fallen for these tactics,” O’Donaghey added. “If you or a loved one has fallen victim to a similar scam, please call your local police.”

For more information on fraud prevention, you’re asked to head to the BC RCMP website or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Tips for recognizing the Fake Gold Scam from BC RCMP:

• 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 are usually both adult males and females and oftentimes appear South Asian or Middle Eastern, and sometimes claim to be from Dubai or Saudi Arabia;
• Scammers are usually associated to and traveling around in rental vehicles, sometimes with small children.