Richmond RCMP say they have made an arrest in a fake gold scheme dating back to March.
Forty-four-year-old Bao Sheng Zhong, a Chinese National living in Richmond, is alleged to have committed three counts of fraud. His victims, two women and one man, were all Asian in descent and all spoke Mandarin. The victims were from the Lower Mainland.
Zhong allegedly posed as someone in the construction industry who had unexpectedly unearthed a treasure trove of gold ingots and Buddha figurines along with an ancient will. He allegedly befriended his victims and convinced them of the authenticity of the will and the value of the ‘treasures’. As part of the scheme, the gold was allowed to be tested to confirm its authenticity, but a sample of authentic gold was switched before testing.
“To my knowledge, this arrest is perhaps the first publicized of its kind in Canada,” said Corporal Dennis Hwang with Richmond RCMP. “This type of crime has occurred in other parts of the world. Recently there was a similar arrest made in Japan. Other arrests were reportedly made in Singapore. We have also seen public warnings from law enforcement in the United States. Comparing those cases, we found the circumstances uncanny in similarity.”
“The commitment from our officers, especially Constable Xia and the Economic Crime Unit were exemplary.”
The Richmond RCMP would like to remind people to remain cautious when anyone attempts to offer or sell something of great value. In a case like this, they would recommend:
- Having all the gold pieces individually tested by an independent testing facility.
- Having legal counsel involved to protect the buyer and seller.
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