Scams

The New Westminster Police Departments says it’s seeing an increase in the number of men and young boys being targeted by a sextortion scam. (Credit: Pixabay)

Men, young boys increasingly targeted by sextortion scams, B.C. police warn

Victims asked to send nude photos, then blackmailed into paying ransom, New Westminster police say

 

Beware of investment pitches over social media. (Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash)

‘I got sucked into a vortex’: B.C. woman reveals brush with crypto scammer

Authorities offer tips on how to avoid getting caught up in such scams

 

Plumbing pipes are seen at Lennar at Heritage at Stonebridge, the newest 55+ active adult housing community construction site, on Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Las Vegas. High material costs still prevail in home renovation and building. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

Riskiest scams in Canada come from home renovations, cryptocurrency: BBB

2022 report reveals increases in scam susceptibility, average amount of money lost

 

Sugar-dating scams are becoming quite common, according to the Better Business Bureau. (Lori Lo - Pixabay/Special to The News

Being a sugar baby isn’t so sweet, warns Better Business Bureau

B.C. student narrowly avoids sugar-dating scam

Sugar-dating scams are becoming quite common, according to the Better Business Bureau. (Lori Lo - Pixabay/Special to The News
Police warn of romance scams used by fraudsters in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day that can leave victims out of money and with a broken heart. (Stock photo)

B.C. police warn ‘romance scams’ can trick victims into relationships and out of money

Fraudsters may send seemingly innocent and random messages as first step, say RCMP

Police warn of romance scams used by fraudsters in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day that can leave victims out of money and with a broken heart. (Stock photo)
The voice you hear on the other end of your phone call may not be who you think it is, the person you’re texting with may really be a bot and the face in a photo or video on your favourite dating app may not even exist. Technological advancements in artificial intelligence create the potential to fuel romance scams, said Jeff Clune, an associate professor of computer science at the University of British Columbia. A young person uses a smart phone in Chicago. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP
The voice you hear on the other end of your phone call may not be who you think it is, the person you’re texting with may really be a bot and the face in a photo or video on your favourite dating app may not even exist. Technological advancements in artificial intelligence create the potential to fuel romance scams, said Jeff Clune, an associate professor of computer science at the University of British Columbia. A young person uses a smart phone in Chicago. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP
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

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)
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

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

The Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker receives daily reports of people purchasing items that they never receive. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
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 scam involving multiple people has hit Abbotsford and other communities this week. (Creative Outlet image)

Phone scam involving group of fraudsters hits Abbotsford grandparents

Callers pretend to be grandchildren, local police and even a courier for the courts

A scam involving multiple people has hit Abbotsford and other communities this week. (Creative Outlet image)
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)
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)
The Abbotsford Police Department is warning about a recent phone/bank scam that resulted in two people losing approximately $46,000. (Image by Pexels from Pixabay)

Two Abbotsford residents lose $46K in bank scam

Police warn others to be cautious of clicking links on mobile devices

The Abbotsford Police Department is warning about a recent phone/bank scam that resulted in two people losing approximately $46,000. (Image by Pexels from Pixabay)
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
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