The Sarnia Police Service (SPS) is reminding the general public that “if one thing appears too good to be true, it most likely is.”
The message comes after a neighborhood resident had $1,600 value of jewelry stolen off of them in a distraction rip-off.
Police stated on September 11, the sufferer was at a London Highway enterprise car parking zone the place he was approached by a pair in a white automobile who engaged him in dialog.
The couple stated they had been from Dubai, questioned the sufferer about his nationality and instructed him about their father who was within the hospital and wanted prayers.
Police stated the accused requested the sufferer to hope for his or her father and in return provided him a gold colored bracelet and chain as a present. The sufferer accepted, and it is alleged the feminine, whereas putting the brand new chain on the sufferer’s neck, eliminated the prevailing chain he was carrying.
The identical factor occurred when she positioned the bracelet on the sufferer’s wrist.
Police stated this rip-off entails the alternate of nugatory items of jewelry for ones which can be considerably extra worthwhile.
Police stated the Metropolis of Sarnia is seeing an increase in some of these scams which embody pickpocketing, pretend emergency begging, and the beforehand reported pretend taxi scams.
Widespread themes related to these scams embody: – Distraction Strategies – These people will work as a workforce. One individual will distract the sufferer with dialog whereas the opposite individual commits the theft.
– Faux Emergencies – The scammer will provoke dialog through the use of a pretend emergency corresponding to a household disaster or a medical emergency to attraction to the sufferer’s sympathy.
– Youngsters Involvement – Youngsters are additionally typically used within the rip-off to play on the feelings of passersby.
– Beneficiant Presents – The supply of free jewelry or a beneficiant return on funds are sometimes used to get in shut proximity to the person or to achieve entry to the person’s banking info.
In keeping with police, these scams thrive on creating confusion, emotional manipulation, and exploiting the goodwill of victims.
These scams can have totally different variations of those themes, and residents must be cautious of permitting strangers into their private area or of anybody partaking in some of these conversations.
