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Crime Alert | VPD Quarterly Crime Report | Vancouver Crime Prevention Quarterly Spring 2011
The VPD has issued the Vancouver Crime Prevention Quarterly for Spring 2011. The focus of this edition is fraud. | | Here you can download the PDF version of the Vancouver Police Department's Quarterly Crime Report. This Winter's edition features a focus on financial crime.
The Crime Alert program is done in partnership with the Vancouver Police Department and the Collingwood Community Policing Centres. We Thank Cst. Jose Abundo for updates on the happenings in our area.
To be included on the mass email list for distribution of such alerts, please email the MPBIA office at mpbia@telus.net. This will allow you to receive crime updates as they are received by our office. | | The Crime Alert program is done in partnership with the Vancouver Police Department and the Collingwood Community Policing Centres. We thank Cst. Jose Abundo for updates on the happenings in our area.
The crime alert program is done in partnership with the Vancouver Police Department and the Collingwood Policing Centre. We circulate these alerts to our membership as quikly as possible.
To be included on the mas email list for distribution of such alerts, please email the MPBIA office at mpbia@telus.net. This will allow you to receive crime updates as they are received by our office. | | Scam Artists Warning March 21 2011 - Constable Anne Longley, VPD | Good morning,
Couple of scams to be aware of.
The article in today’s Province is very interesting as the victim was targeted in advance and a meeting was set up on the premise of making a business deal.
Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/Vancouver+identity+snared+poker+sting/4474523/story.html#ixzz1HFd3QiED
The other warning is about a well known scam artist who operates all over the Lower Mainland and who I sent a warning out about last fall.
It looks like he’s at it again and may have his long time stand-by story or a new story – but the premise is always the same and that is to ‘borrow’ money which never gets paid back. He tried his scam at a business on W Broadway over the weekend, but they recognized him from a previous encounter and confronted him on his story …at which point he ran from the store and jumped into a car.
His m/o is to go to business and pretend to be a long-time friend of the manager, asking to borrow money as he has lost his keys and needs the money for a locksmith, or for Busters Towing, etc. He promises to return the next day to repay the manager/owner, claiming he is good for it as he has been a friend of theirs for so long. He will often work his "pregnant wife" into his story - she has his keys and just went off to the hospital to give birth, and if he doesn't get the locksmith ASAP he will miss her giving birth. He sometimes uses this scam in residential areas going door-to-door, but then claims to be the neighbor (nobody wants to admit they don't know their neighbor, so it often works).
He often says he knows the manager/ owner or staff members, but this is information that can be obtained in advance from basic internet searches or even from a lobby directory. He is usually neatly dressed and well spoken…and obviously convincing since he’s been successful at this scam for such a long time. Although I can’t give you his name, his description is as follows:
- Caucasian, 41 yrs old, 5”10” stocky build, balding/shaved head, wears glasses | | Scam Artists Warning December 3, 2010 - Constable Anne Longley, VPD | Vancouver Police are warning the public about a couple of scam artists continuing to operate in the Vancouver area.
We first warned the public about this couple in January of 2010, but they have continued to try their scam both in Vancouver and in surrounding municipalities. In the past few months, Vancouver Police have received a number of reports about a man and woman who are using a common ploy in an attempt to defraud people.
In most cases, the 40 year old man will approach an employee at a business or school claiming to be a doctor or somehow related to someone in the business. He is very convincing and often knows the names of the business owner or company information in an attempt to sound credible. He typically asks for cab fare saying his wife needs to get to a hospital and he has locked his keys in his car, or that his car has broken down and he needs money for a tow truck. He will generally ask for anywhere from $20 to $80, promising to return later with the money. He never does return. At times a 34 year old woman accompanies him or waits outside.
Anyone who is approached by this couple should not give them money, and anyone who may be a victim of this scam is asked to contact Vancouver Police or Crime Stoppers. | | November 29, 2010 Scam Alert - Reported by Local Business | A man on a bike sees someone smoking, strikes up a conversation with them, and then tells them that he has (2) cartons of cigarettes for sale for $60.00. When they take the money out to pay him, he grabs the $60.00 and takes off on his bike.
White male, approx. 45 years old with beard
Hunched over a little
Backpack and rides a blue bicycle | | Internet Scams February 2010 |
Too good to be true? Don't get taken in...
Constable Anne Longley, Business Liaison
Vancouver Police Department
"I am Mr. Patrick K. W. Chan Executive Director & Chief financial Officer of Hang Seng Bank Ltd, Hong Kong. I have a lucrative business proposal of mutual interest to share with you; it involves the transfer of a large sum of money. I got your reference in my search for someone who suits my proposed business relationship. If you are interested in working with me contact me through my private email for further details."
I'm sure most of you have received emails like the one above and realized that it is a scam, but there are many people who are taken in by Internet and email scams. There are hundreds of variations on these scams, and not all of them are as obvious as the one above. The police continue to receive reports of people who have been duped into deals and have become the victim of a scam.
The best thing is to be informed and learn to recognize what might be a scam. As with any business deal, it is the responsibility of the purchaser or seller to use common sense and do their research prior to completing a transaction.
Many scams involve buying, selling or renting a product and will include one or more of the following:
An inquiry from someone saying they are from overseas or have gone out of the country and have a convincing story to go along with their inquiry
Someone wanting to use a money wiring service, shipping service or some sort of "guarantee" to buy the product
A refusal to meet in person, or saying they don't need to see what you're selling before they offer you money
Overpayment for your service or product and then advising you to take what you require and send them the residual
A person not authorized to sell or rent the property they're advertising
Remember to remain cautious as you don't know who you are dealing with over the Internet. Be informed, and if you suspect the ad or email is a scam, report it to the site that it's posted on. Most of all, trust your gut feelings, and if the person is deceptive or can't answer your questions, discontinue contact with them.
Most Internet classified sites post warnings and advice on how to avoid scams, or you can go to the following sites for more information:
Better Business Bureau of BC - http://mbc.bbb.org/
PhoneBusters - www.phonebusters.com
| | Scam Alert- March 2009 | | There has been a number of complaints from local restaurants about a man posing as a recent customer claiming to have contracted food poisoning. He tries to obtain financial compensation from the business. All businesses should be aware of this and report to the police should you have this person visit your premises. |
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