The Sarnia Police Service (SPS) is reminding the public that "if something seems too good to be true, it probably is."
The message comes after a local resident had $1,600 worth of jewellery stolen off of them in a distraction scam.
Police said on September 11, the victim was at a London Road business parking lot where he was approached by a couple in a white car who engaged him in conversation.
The couple said they were from Dubai, questioned the victim about his nationality and told him about their father who was in the hospital and needed prayers.
Police said the accused asked the victim to pray for their father and in return offered him a gold coloured bracelet and chain as a gift. The victim accepted, and it's alleged the female, while placing the new chain on the victim's neck, removed the existing chain he was wearing.
The same thing happened when she placed the bracelet on the victim's wrist.
Police said this scam involves the exchange of worthless pieces of jewellery for ones that are significantly more valuable.
Police said the City of Sarnia is seeing a rise in these types of scams which include pickpocketing, fake emergency begging, and the previously reported fake taxi scams.
Common themes associated with these scams include: - Distraction Techniques - These individuals will work as a team. One person will distract the victim with conversation while the other person commits the theft.
- Fake Emergencies - The scammer will initiate conversation by using a fake emergency such as a family crisis or a medical emergency to appeal to the victim's sympathy.
- Children Involvement - Children are also often used in the scam to play on the emotions of passersby.
- Generous Offers - The offer of free jewellery or a generous return on funds are often used to get in close proximity to the individual or to gain access to the individual's banking information.
According to police, these scams thrive on creating confusion, emotional manipulation, and exploiting the goodwill of victims.
These scams can have different variations of these themes, and citizens should be cautious of allowing strangers into their personal space or of anyone engaging in these types of conversations.
