RCMP in Richmond, B.C., have issued a public warning after bogus bank drafts were used to fraudulently buy vehicles worth nearly half a million dollars.
Police began investigating after a local car dealership reported a stolen vehicle.
Investigators arrested a suspect on Feb. 21, and Mounties said they recovered three vehicles that had been obtained through fraud.
The detachment’s economic crime unit subsequently identified another five vehicles believed to have been fraudulently purchased between Jan. 21 and Feb. 26.
The vehicles ranged in value between $33,000 and $87,000 and were worth more than $440,000 altogether.
“We are issuing this public warning as we believe there may be additional victims who are not yet aware that their vehicle was purchased using a potential fraudulent bank draft,” Richmond RCMP Cpl. Melissa Lui said in a media release.
“If you are a victim we ask that you contact your police of jurisdiction. We are also asking anyone who may have information about these investigations to come forward.”
The Mounties are urging the public to contact the financial institution that issued any bank draft to check its authenticity before accepting it.
They also recommend that sellers meet buyers at a legitimate financial institution to watch the bank draft being ordered, and ensure it has cleared and been confirmed before turning over any property.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre said it received more than 62,000 reports of fraud in 2023, with victims losing more than half a billion dollars to scams.
The suspect in the fraud case has since been released on a police undertaking.
Comments