Surrey RCMP is warning the public about an alleged fraudster who has reportedly been recently preying on elderly people and their generosity.
Police say the scam involves the suspect advising homeowners that his car has been towed nearby and he needs money to retrieve it.
In some cases, the suspect gains access to the residence during the conversation and steals further items from the homeowner.
The suspect sometimes offers the homeowner an item as collateral before a return payment is made, which turns out to be stolen property.
He has also returned the next day in an apparent attempt to re-pay the homeowner which results in a further theft or robbery of the homeowner. The suspect uses a number of techniques in order to gain the victim’s trust including alleging knowledge of the victim’s family.
Between May and June 2014, police responded to three complaints of a similar nature, however Surrey RCMP believe there may be additional victims who have yet to come forward. The frauds have all taken place in the City Centre area of Surrey.
Despite a number of investigative steps and persons of interest, police have failed to identify and locate the suspect. Officers are hoping that releasing this information and surveillance photo (attached) will help identify who he is. The suspect is described as a South Asian male, mid 20’s, short black hair, clean cut, approximately 6’0”, slim to average build. Officers believe the same suspect may be responsible for a series of similar frauds in the Richmond area.
Anyone who has further information or who has been the victim of a similar scam is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or www.solvecrime.ca.
For information on protecting yourself from fraud please visit the fraud prevention and seniors safety sections of our website.