On September 11th, 2024 the victim in this matter was standing in a business parking lot within the commercial district of London Road. At this time, he was approached by a couple in a white car who engaged him in conversation.
The couple advised that they were from Dubai and questioned the victim about his nationality. They then began telling the victim about their father who was in the hospital and needed prayers. The couple asked the victim to pray for their father and in return for the prayers they offered him a gold coloured bracelet and a chain as a gift.
The victim accepted the offer of the free chain, and the female offered to place both the chain and the bracelet on the victim. As the female was placing the new chain on the victim's neck, she removed the victim's existing chain that he was wearing at the time. The same occurred when the female placed the bracelet on the victim's wrist.
This scam involves the exchange of worthless pieces of jewelry for ones that are significantly more valuable. In this instance, the victim estimates that the jewelry stolen had a value of $1600.
In these types of scams, the perpetrators are extremely skilled at removing the jewelry (or other items) while distracting the victim. The perpetrators will often practice committing the offence to ensure the victim does not realize the items are being removed from their possession.
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 jewelry 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.
These scams thrive on creating confusion, emotional manipulation, and exploiting the goodwill of victims. These scams can have different variations of these themes. Citizens should be cautious of allowing strangers into their personal space or of anyone engaging in these types of conversations.
And finally, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is!