Six Burnaby residents were recently identified by the Burnaby RCMP as victims of a scam that dates back to the late ’90s.
According to a release from the local RCMP detachment, the large-scale scam has been defrauding seniors across the Lower Mainland since 2013. Police say many of the victims don’t believe they are in fact victims.
“We have done our best to convince them that this is a scheme and that they will continue to lose significant amounts of money,” Burnaby RCMP Operations Officer Supt. Stephan Drolet said in a release. “Sadly, this story is not unique. This is why we are encouraging the public to share this story with their families, friends and acquaintances. It’s up to all of us to ensure our loved ones, especially those that are vulnerable, are protected against these financial vultures.”
Mounties say the scams date began more than a decade ago and for most people the story is a familiar one. In 1999, someone from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation contacted a man. He thought he was awarded a multi-million dollar contract for pipeline work in Nigeria but was told he would have to pay fees to secure the contract, the release stated.
Seven years ago the man died and his widow continued to pay the fees, thinking the contracts, allegedly worth $58 million, will one day be paid out, the release added.
Burnaby’s Cpl. Danielle O’Brien of the economic crime unit said in many cases the fraudsters use real people’s names to convince their victims of the scam’s validity.
“The same names are used repeatedly by different fraud groups,” she added in the release.
While pipeline scams have dwindled over the years, police are still cautioning residents to be wary of unknown requests for money.
“There is no shame in falling victim to a scam,” Drolet added. “These people are extremely sophisticated and by their very nature, they prey on the vulnerable. We want this fraud to stop. We don’t want anyone else losing any more money.”
Police are asking anyone who may have fallen victim to this scam or continue to pay into it to contact the Burnaby RCMP economic crime unit at 604-294-7922 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
