An Oak Bay resident nearly fell for a popular email scam that used a familiar friend’s contact on Friday.
In her report of fraud to Oak Bay Police, the woman received an email from her friend requesting she buy $300 in Google Play cards and that she needed them urgently as she was unable to leave due to a meeting.
“The complainant bought the cards and then realized it was probably a scam and did not provide the numbers,” said Oak Bay Police Deputy Chief Ray Bernoties. “The complainant spoke to her girlfriend who advised that her email had been compromised. Luckily, in this incident, there was no loss.”
A similar report was made on May 12 when a new employee bought $800 in Google Play cards. They did so following instructions from their new boss which turned out to be fraudulent, but not until the employee turned over the code for the gift cards.
Pleased to see IRSU in #OakBay! They just issued some tickets at the 4-way stop at Bowker & Hampshire. You know, that 4-way stop that nobody ever stops at – right by our elementary school – where kids cross regularly. Yeah, that one. #LearnFromTheMistakesOfOthers pic.twitter.com/WJ7Otg1igU
— Oak Bay Police (@OakBayPolice) May 27, 2020
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The report of fraud was among the calls of public concern that the Oak Bay police responded to between May 25 to May 31.
Police also released a series of files that involved theft from autos and mischievous behaviour with autos.
On May 27 the Oak Bay police fielded reports two reports of overnight theft from cars. One reported two bags of keys removed from a vehicle in 2200-block of Windsor Road. The other reported spare change removed from a car in the 1000-block of Monterey Avenue. On May 30, a pair of prescription sunglasses and clothes with a value of about $400 were reported stolen from a car in the 100-block of Beach Drive.
In all three cases the vehicles appear to have been left unlocked, Bernoties said.
There were two more reports involving cars on May 27. The complainant advised that someone attempted to remove the insurance sticker from the rear licence plate. The other was a report of scratches on the rear of a vehicle in the 2200-block of Florence Street.
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