Police in British Columbia warn of impersonation scams

The Vancouver Police Department and the RCMP have issued warnings regarding sophisticated phone scams where fraudsters impersonate senior police officers. These criminals use “spoofing” technology to make caller IDs appear as though they are calling from legitimate police non-emergency lines.

In one recent incident on the Sunshine Coast, a resident lost over $100,000 after being contacted by a scammer posing as Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai. The fraudster claimed to be investigating a local financial institution and requested the victim perform email money transfers to “test transaction capabilities.” The victim transferred $70,000 and $38,000 in two separate transactions.

A previous incident involved a scammer posing as Deputy Chief Constable Alison Laurin, resulting in a $10,000 loss after the victim was coerced into providing banking information to a fake bank investigator.

Authorities emphasize that police officers will never contact the public to request money, cryptocurrency, or assistance with criminal investigations through fund transfers. They advise citizens to hang up on suspicious callers and verify identities by contacting agencies through publicly listed phone numbers.