Richmond Mounties are warning the public after victims are being tricked into buying supposedly “priceless” ancient Chinese treasures.
In reality, these “treasures,” are utterly worthless.
The fraudulent scheme resurfaced in Richmond last month, with the last reported similar incident back in 2010.
According to police, in at least two instances, the suspect poses as a Chinese foreign construction worker who has allegedly uncovered a treasure trove of artifacts at a construction site.
These artifacts are purported to be priceless gold ingots and gold figurines of Buddha, yet the suspect is willing to sell the trove to the victim at a substantial loss.
Police say other scenarios may also be used by the suspect.
The victims are all Asian women in their late 40s or older and are specifically fluent in Mandarin and are typically employed in the field of traditional Chinese medicine (acupuncturist, herbalist, etc.). Some victims have been defrauded of several tens of thousands of dollars.
The suspect is an Asian male in his 30s and is a fluent Mandarin speaker. He may be working alone or accompanied by a second Mandarin speaking Asian male, roughly the same age.
“It is unfortunate for us to have to reiterate, but if a deal sounds too good to be true, it most likely is,” says Const. Janice Xia, of the Richmond RCMP.
If you have been a victim of this type of crime, please contact Xia at 604-278-1212. To leave a tip on this crime, email [email protected] or to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
