Fraudsters instructed Richmond victim to buy gold, RCMP say

Gold bars are shown. (Shutterstock.com)

Police in Richmond, B.C., are warning the public about what they say is “a new fraud” in the city.

The victim was “allegedly instructed by the fraudster to purchase gold,” Richmond RCMP said in a news release Tuesday.

The incident was reported to the detachment last month, police said. The victim told investigators she received “a warning on her computer” that directed her to call a phone number beginning with 1-888.

“When she called it, she was advised there was pornography on her device and her accounts had been compromised,” police said in their release.

“The victim later received a callback instructing her to purchase gold from a business in Richmond. Fortunately, before providing the gold as payment, she spoke with staff at her local bank who assisted her in realizing it was a scam.”

The victim reported the incident to police because she believed the scammers may have access to her personal information, police said.

“This is the first reported incident of this type of fraud we’ve received in Richmond,” said Cpl. Michael Ber of the Richmond RCMP Economic Crime Unit, in the release.

“However, we are aware of an investigation on Vancouver Island involving this modus operandi, which is why we are issuing this public warning. We are working tirelessly to try and educate the public on fraud trends to help stem the tide of victimization.”

In 2024 alone, Richmond residents reported more than $38 million allegedly lost to fraud. The Richmond RCMP recommends checking the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website regularly to stay up to date on the latest frauds and scams circulating across the country.