Love really is blind, and one resident learned that lesson the hard way, according to the New Westminster Police Department.
Police say a New Westminster resident lost thousands in an online dating scam. She had been communicating with someone on a dating website. As it turns out, the online sweetheart was using a fake identity, but the scam wasn’t revealed until after the resident sent an estimated $70,000 overseas to the suspect after he asked for help with his business, according to a police press release.
“These fraudsters will go to great lengths to gain your trust,” said New Westminster police spokesperson Sgt. Jeff Scott in the release. “You think you’ve found the person you’ve been looking for, you’re in love and unfortunately at that time you’re extremely vulnerable.”
Some red flags to watch for include: not wanting to meet in person (often the scammer will have many excuses to avoid this); professing their love before meeting; a vague online profile; and requesting to move the conversation from the dating site to personal email, according to Scott.
New Westminster police are reminding residents not to send money to people they’ve never met in person and to be careful about how much personal information is shared online, especially on social media sites.
“Scammers can use your information and pictures to create a fake identity or to target you with a scam,” notes the release.
Anyone who suspects they have been the victim of fraud or may have been tricked into giving personal information or money to someone is asked to contact the New Westminster Police Department at 604-525-5411.
Bitcoin tax scam
Some scammers have been known to contact people demanding the virtual currency Bitcoin, according to the New Westminster Police Department.
The scammers call pretending to be employees of Canada Revenue Agency. The scammers then tell the person on the other end that they have overdue taxes and if they don’t pay immediately they will be arrested.
That’s when they demand payment in Bitcoin, according to police.
Police are reminding residents the Canada Revenue Agency does not accept payment in Bitcoin, it doesn’t arrest people for outstanding taxes and it doesn’t contact people by phone.
Canada Revenue Agency scam
Last year, New Westminster residents lost more than $50,000 to scammers posing as Canada Revenue Agency employees, according to the police department.
The scammers pose as revenue agency employees and demand the person on the other pay any unpaid taxes immediately. The suspects are able to manipulate their phone numbers so it looks like they’re calling from Canada Revenue Agency, too.
Residents are encouraged to hang up on any suspicious calls and to call the revenue agency directly at 1-800-959-8281.
