Beware of the man who offers to give you gold for cash.
It’s known as the “Dubai gold” con and it recently resurfaced in Langley City.
Langley RCMP Cpl. Holly Largy said a man driving a dark Dodge Journey SUV, described as a “semi-bald’ man who spoke with a heavy Middle Eastern accent, claimed he had lost his wallet and needed cash to get back to Dubai.
The victim paid $300 for what turned out to be fake gold.
While the transaction took place in the area of some security cameras in the 20300 block of Fraser Highway on Thursday, Nov. 7, police were unable to locate images of the con artist.
Largy called it a “cautionary tale.”
“Don’t buy things out of the back of a car,” Largy commented.
Other incidents have been reported in Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Merritt, Kamloops and Regina.
In Saanich, police reported one person recently lost $500 when they were scammed roadside by a couple who reported a lost wallet and said needed cash right away in order to get back to Dubai.
A male suspect offered what appeared to be gold jewelry to the victim and drove them to a nearby ATM where $500 was withdrawn.
The resident returned home and determined that gold should not be magnetic.
One hour later, police said the same suspect or suspects tried the same scam on another resident in the area who turned them away.
“As we enter the holiday season when goodwill is at its highest level, please use your common sense and intuition to avoid any scams that will hit you in the heart and pocketbook,” said Saanich Police Cst. Pat Mangan.
The suspect was accompanied by people purported to be his wife and three young children in a dark Chrysler SUV, police said.
READ MORE: B.C. jewellers warn public about fake gold scam
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In May of last year, owners of a Chilliwack jewelry shop, Thomas Designer Jewellery, said in one week, they had five people try to sell them fake gold.
In a story relayed to the jewellers, a couple told a local they left Edmonton for a drive but went too far. They didn’t have any money for gas and they needed to get back to Alberta to catch a flight to Dubai.
That’s when they offered up what they claimed to be 18-karat men’s gold rings, necklaces and bracelets for what would be a bargain price.
The shop owner noted men’s rings are almost never 18-karat gold becauase it would be too soft. Then, there is the fact that the rings have no manufacturer’s logo, just the “18K” stamp.
– with files from Black Press Media
