Fred said he was scared, tired from his night shift, and decided to help the family. He explained that he was worried about them. He continued to drive to his bank and withdraw $ 1,000 from his account to give to the man. However, Fred did not realize that this was a scam until he visited a local jewelry store the next day, where it was confirmed that the items he had received were counterfeit and that his family’s money had never been returned.
“Then I told my wife what had happened. I was frozen, and I don’t know what happened. I trusted this man, “said Fred.
“I felt bad for them because it was Ramadan and they didn’t have money for food and a hotel. I was deceived. “
He hopes his story will raise public awareness of the issue to prevent it from happening to anyone else.
A common phenomenon
Bocian Jewelers owner Alex Bocian said stories like Prince Albert’s are not uncommon. Two to three times a week, he said people would visit his store to see if the jewelry was genuine or counterfeit.
Bocian explained that all stories are very similar when the scammer will have a family in the car and needs money for gasoline or something else. He added that this has been happening for years and has recently worsened not only in the PA but also in the surrounding area.
“I tell clients to get their registration number and go to the police, but the police usually don’t do anything if they don’t see them doing it,” Bocian said. “But I guarantee the police are gone [and find them] they will find hundreds and hundreds of rings and other things in the car.
He explained that there is no way for the average person to know if the jewelry is fake or real.
“If you’re not a goldsmith or a watchmaker, I don’t think you can tell the difference. You can’t, because it looks real, “Bocian said. “I tell them, before you buy, bring it. I don’t have to tell you if it’s real or not, but [the scammer] will not allow you to do that. “
“They’re just hunting poor people … It’s indescribable to me, it’s nasty,” he said, adding that it was important to get those people out of the area.
Police reaction
Prince Albert (PAPS) police spokesman Charlene Thebes said they had received reports of people asking for money in exchange for things like gold, and in many cases they had been asked to donate money in emergencies.
“What we would suggest is that you do not allow anyone to pressure you to make a quick decision about something like this, especially when it involves your money. “They can certainly report to the police or they can also report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center, which has a lot of information on its website and through their phone number on ways to prevent fraud and protect yourself,” she said.
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Ian.Gustafson@pattisonmedia.com
On Twitter: @ IanGustafson12
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