How do I...
If the crime you are reporting is an emergency, call 9-1-1.
If the crime you are reporting is not an emergency, you can call the non-emergency line at 604-525-5411 or attend our Front Counter at 555 Columbia Street, New Westminster, BC.
Another victim falls prey to a fraudster who obtained over $6,000 from a New Westminster resident.
The resident started a profile on an online dating site. While accessing the site, she was messaged by another member who claimed to hold the rank of Major in the US Army and was currently deployed in Afghanistan. After communicating for approximately one week, the male asked the female to send him money via Western Union so that he could visit her in Canada during his deployment leave and stated he would pay her back later. The female filled out a “Leave Request Form”, where she provided her personal information and stated she was the male’s fiance.
Over approximately a one month period, the female sent seven Western Union transactions to Kentucky, Georgia and Nigeria. None of the names she was advised to send the money to was the name of the male. She believed them all to be part of the US military.
The female became suspicious that she may have been the victim of fraud when she saw a newspaper article regarding the top 10 Scams of 2012. Once the email address was queried, she obtained proof that it was associated to Nigerian scam artists. The victim will never recover her money.
The New Westminster Police Department urges residents to be very cautious with their money and personal information, particularly through online interaction. To obtain further information on this and other types of scams, please refer to www.antifraudcentre.ca
