Scams

A Toronto family’s home was sold without their knowledge while they were out of the city. Now the Better Business Bureau is offering tips to residents of B.C. (Graeme Roy/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

How to avoid scammers from selling your home from underneath you

After two home title fraud scams in Toronto, the Better Business Bureau offers tips to avoid this scam

 

An elderly North Vancouver couple was nearly tricked into losing thousands of dollars after getting contacted by a fake lawyer. (Credit: Pixabay/ Sabinevanerp)

Elderly couple nearly tricked out of $9K in North Vancouver bail scam

Fraudsters pretended the couple’s grandson had been arrested

 

The Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker receives daily reports of people purchasing items that they never receive. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

B.C. shoppers warned about devious holiday scams

The BBB says shoppers should avoid buying items from retailers they don’t know

 

Burnaby RCMP are warning of virtual kidnapping scam after an international student was tricked in August 2022. (Black Press Media file photo)

B.C. international student tricked into creating hostage videos, paying scammers

Fraudsters posed as Chinese police officers, told student he was a suspect

Burnaby RCMP are warning of virtual kidnapping scam after an international student was tricked in August 2022. (Black Press Media file photo)
A senior in New Westminster was scammed out of a large amount of cash after she thought she was paying for her grandson’s bail. (Black Press Media file photo)

Fraudsters pose as grandson, cop to trick B.C. senior into handing over bail cash

Grandson impersonator claimed he’d been arrested with large amounts of cannabis

A senior in New Westminster was scammed out of a large amount of cash after she thought she was paying for her grandson’s bail. (Black Press Media file photo)
The Better Business Bureau is warning shoppers of a scam involving barcodes being swapped on gift cards. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Gift card scam catching B.C. holiday shoppers off guard

Better Business Bureau issues warning after barcodes swapped on cards

The Better Business Bureau is warning shoppers of a scam involving barcodes being swapped on gift cards. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Const. Peter Mann, Cpl. Craig Van Herk, and Cpl. Valerie Conroy are all involved in community outreach and can speak about frauds targeting seniors. (Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance Times)

Living 60+: RCMP helping seniors facing possible scams

Wait to donate is key advice – real charities will be patient

Const. Peter Mann, Cpl. Craig Van Herk, and Cpl. Valerie Conroy are all involved in community outreach and can speak about frauds targeting seniors. (Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance Times)
Scammers tried to trick a North Vancouver man into believing they had kidnapped his wife, police say. (Credit: Pixabay/Geralt)

Scammers pretend to kidnap North Vancouver man’s wife, demand ransom

Call appeared to come from wife’s phone; woman could be heard in background

Scammers tried to trick a North Vancouver man into believing they had kidnapped his wife, police say. (Credit: Pixabay/Geralt)
The Better Business Bureau is warning shoppers of the risk of online shopping scams as the busy holiday shopping season gets underway. (Courtesy of Better Business Bureau)

BBB warning of online shopping scams this holiday season

Online shopping scams reached record highs last year, and are on track to match or surpass this year

The Better Business Bureau is warning shoppers of the risk of online shopping scams as the busy holiday shopping season gets underway. (Courtesy of Better Business Bureau)
A fake piano donation almost scammed the Langley Hospice Society, said executive director Shannon Todd Booth. (Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance Times)

Grand piano scam targets Langley Hospice Society

Staff narrowly avoided the scam, which has hit other locations

A fake piano donation almost scammed the Langley Hospice Society, said executive director Shannon Todd Booth. (Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance Times)
A 93-year-old senior is left with nothing but bitcoin receipts after being scammed out of $15,000 in July. She’s hoping that sharing her experience will prevent others from being hurt. (Heather Colpitts/Langley Advance Times)

Cloverdale senior hit by tag-teaming scammers, defrauding her of $15,000

93-year-old grandmother doesn’t want to see this happen to other seniors

A 93-year-old senior is left with nothing but bitcoin receipts after being scammed out of $15,000 in July. She’s hoping that sharing her experience will prevent others from being hurt. (Heather Colpitts/Langley Advance Times)
Rent sign via The Star

Rental scams have spiked 160% since 2021, sparking warning from the BBB

The Better Business Bureau of Mainland B.C. has released a warning for those looking to rent

Rent sign via The Star
Linda Annis is executive director of Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers. (Malin Jordan/Black Press Media)

Elder abuse can be reported through Crime Stoppers

Older people can be subjected to various kinds of abuse, including physical, emotional and financial

Linda Annis is executive director of Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers. (Malin Jordan/Black Press Media)
Derek Lints wipes away tears as he speaks about his son Daniel, 17, at his home in Pilot Mound, Man., on Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Daniel Lints was sexually exploited online in February and committed suicide as a result. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

“World lost a good person:” Parents warn of global sextortion targeting teens

17-year-old was coerced into sending an explicit image to who he thought was a woman on Snapchat

Derek Lints wipes away tears as he speaks about his son Daniel, 17, at his home in Pilot Mound, Man., on Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Daniel Lints was sexually exploited online in February and committed suicide as a result. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods
(Black Press Media File Photo/Kaitlyn Baker via Unsplash) A seminar aimed at helping seniors better understand cryptocurrency and avoid falling victim to scams, is set for June 22 in White Rock. (File photo/Kaitlyn Baker via Unsplash)

Cryptocurrency- scams increasingly targeting Lower Mainland seniors

CARP of South Surrey/White Rock to host information seminar June 22

(Black Press Media File Photo/Kaitlyn Baker via Unsplash) A seminar aimed at helping seniors better understand cryptocurrency and avoid falling victim to scams, is set for June 22 in White Rock. (File photo/Kaitlyn Baker via Unsplash)
The Abbotsford Police Department is warning about a recent online “romance scam” that saw a local senior lose $270,000. (Photo by Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash)

Online ‘romance scam’ sees Abbotsford senior lose $270K

Police warn that it’s almost impossible to catch fraudsters in such cases

The Abbotsford Police Department is warning about a recent online “romance scam” that saw a local senior lose $270,000. (Photo by Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash)
FILE - Shelves typically stocked with baby formula sit mostly empty at a store in San Antonio, Tuesday, May 10, 2022. A massive baby formula recall, combined with COVID-related supply chain problems, is getting most of the blame for the shortage that’s causing distress for many parents across the U.S. But the nation’s formula supply has long been vulnerable to this type of crisis, experts say, due to decades-old rules and policies that have allowed a handful of companies to corner nearly the entire U.S. market. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

Scammers taking advantage of baby formula shortages, Better Business Bureau warns

Buyers should be wary of online ads from private sellers saying they have formula available

FILE - Shelves typically stocked with baby formula sit mostly empty at a store in San Antonio, Tuesday, May 10, 2022. A massive baby formula recall, combined with COVID-related supply chain problems, is getting most of the blame for the shortage that’s causing distress for many parents across the U.S. But the nation’s formula supply has long been vulnerable to this type of crisis, experts say, due to decades-old rules and policies that have allowed a handful of companies to corner nearly the entire U.S. market. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
Langley RCMP officers handcuffed one man when they searched an SUV and seized a quality of fake gold in Langley City on Wednesday, March 16, in the 20200 block of Fraser Highway. Because the suspect wasn’t caught in the act of selling, he was released without being charged after agreeing to leave the province. (Dan Ferguson/Langley Advance Times)

Police bust alleged fake gold scam in Langley City

Following search and seizure, suspect agrees to leave province

Langley RCMP officers handcuffed one man when they searched an SUV and seized a quality of fake gold in Langley City on Wednesday, March 16, in the 20200 block of Fraser Highway. Because the suspect wasn’t caught in the act of selling, he was released without being charged after agreeing to leave the province. (Dan Ferguson/Langley Advance Times)
FILE - This May 5, 2016, file photo shows Pokemon merchandise. (Mike Lang/Sarasota Herald-Tribune via AP)

2 Pokemon card collectors to get refunds in B.C. online scam case

The Civil Resolution Tribunal ordered Zachary Hall to give full refunds to the buyers

FILE - This May 5, 2016, file photo shows Pokemon merchandise. (Mike Lang/Sarasota Herald-Tribune via AP)
An elderly couple in Nanaimo was defrauded out of nearly $400,000 in a lottery scam, say RCMP. (Stock photo)

B.C. seniors defrauded out of nearly $400,000 in fake lottery scam

Elderly couple regularly sent money orders to pay taxes on their ‘winnings,’ say RCMP

An elderly couple in Nanaimo was defrauded out of nearly $400,000 in a lottery scam, say RCMP. (Stock photo)