Gold scams reported in Metro Vancouver

North Vancouver RCMP is warning about “a group of fraud artists” running a fake gold scam in communities throughout the Lower Mainland.

According to Mounties, the group includes men, women, and sometimes children who wear layers of gold-coloured necklaces and rings when they approach a potential victim to ask for help. They say incidents have been reported since the beginning of October.

“They put on a pretty compelling show,” said Cst. Mansoor Sahak of the North Vancouver RCMP. “In some cases, the group is driving a rental vehicle.”

Mounties say the fraudsters may claim to be wealthy foreigners who can’t access their money due to a banking problem.

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“The men are usually wearing business attire, and the women are dressed in clothing reminiscent of middle eastern cultures,” police say

The group is said to then offer to sell the victim some of their jewelry at a discounted price. The fraudsters may also claim to have lost their wallet, putting the fake jewelry up as collateral for a loan. The victims later find the jewelry is fake.

Police say their biggest concern is that the scammers are involving children and are asking anyone who has been approached in such a way to contact them.