Nanaimo RCMP warns about frauds

Frauds are increasingly woven into the fabric of our daily lives, through emails, phone calls and social media. As technology evolves, so do the tactics of deceit and their delivery. By staying informed and skeptical, we can better protect ourselves and our communities.

Nanaimo file # 2025-29161 Grandson scam

Caller told police she was scammed for $1700 after being led to believe her grandson needed money to get out of jail. Caller that that in September 2025, she received a phone call from a private number who said they were the RCMP and that her grandson had been arrested after being involved in a motor vehicle accident. For him to be released from police custody, she had to send the money to crawford112@gmail.com. After the money was sent, she realized she had probably been scammed. She is currently working with her bank to get her money back.

Take action

Law enforcement officers will never call you asking for money. If a caller says they are law enforcement call the actual number for the police agency involved and confirm. Also, never send money to anyone based on phone call or email unless you can confirm who it is and do so by asking personal questions such as the name of family pet, their nickname, where you vacationed, etc.

Nanaimo file # 2025-12659 Amazon scam

Caller told police she received a phone call from a man who called himself “James Butcher” and that he worked with Amazon. Butcher told the complainant that Amazon had detected suspicious charges on her account and that her IP address had been compromised. The suspect convinced the complainant to pay $899 through Western Union, and $900 to a bitcoin ATM. After the money was paid, the complainant called the number BUTCHER provided (1-289-805-2555). The call went to a strange sounding company, and she was unable to speak to anyone. Only then did she realize that she had been scammed. She is working with her bank to recover her money.

Take action

No legitimate company including Amazon will ever ask you to deposit money in a bitcoin ATM. Amazon or any company will never have access to your IP address. Browse the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) website for similar scams.

Nanaimo file # 2025-30358 Investment scam

Caller told police she lost $350 after receiving a call from “Emterra Capital”. The suspect convinced the caller to send the money so that she could receive financial planning services. The caller provided some of her personal banking information to the scammer. After sending the money she was told to call “Marc” but when she called the number it was out of service.

Take action

No financial company will ever ask you for personal baking information. If you have provided personal information, immediately change your PIN and passwords for banking accounts. You may also want to consider cancelling your credit cards and debit card. A search engine review would have confirmed that this was not a legitimate investment firm. Bookmark the CAFC on your computer and review their exhaustive list of scams.

Nanaimo file # 2025-30358 Fake lotto prize

Caller told police she responded to a survey on FB and was told that she would win a truck and $150,000 if she sent $40. The caller then received a phone call from a woman at 256-731-1791. The woman told her to purchase $40 in gift cards. After purchasing the cards, she called the suspect back and provided the 10-digit code from the back of each card. After sending the money and not receiving notice that she had won the truck or cash, she realized it was a scam.

Take action

FB and social media surveys are fake and are designed to draw you in and extract personal information from the user. No legitimate company, lotto or organization will ever ask you to purchase gift cards. A search of the CAFC would have debunked this pitch and saved the user $40.