Residents of Sidney and North Saanich were defrauded of a staggering $247,277 in the first quarter of 2025, according to a new report by Sidney/North Saanich RCMP.
The report details a significant increase in financial losses due to scams, despite a 39 per cent decrease in the overall number of reported incidents.
Between January and March, Sidney/North Saanich RCMP listed five cases where fraudsters impersonated businesses, police officers, government agencies, or bank representatives.
These scams resulted in a loss of $200,100 – a 2,117 per cent increase in losses compared to the same period last year, when only $9,026 was reported lost.
Victims were often instructed to make payments using bitcoin or gift cards, and in some cases, scammers gained access to victims' personal bank accounts. Other prevalent scams included those where perpetrators posed as distressed family members, typically grandchildren or children, urgently requesting money for debts or to get out of jail.
Twelve other cases of scams resulted in a total of $47,177 in losses.
Task-based/employment scams promising payment for simple tasks like product reviews or a job opening, as well as purchase scams, involving the sale of fake or non-existent items on platforms like Facebook Marketplace, also accounted for a significant portion of the losses.
While some scams claiming the victim's computer needs to be fixed to gain access to banking information or those involving requests for Google Play cards, saw a decrease, romance scams doubled in the first quarter, with scammers creating fake online profiles to lure victims on social media and dating platforms.
The average age of victims of fraudulent scams in the first quarter of 2025 was 59.
The Sidney/North Saanich RCMP urges residents to be vigilant and report any suspected scams to their local police and keep a file number for future reference.
They also recommend contacting the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
If you have been a victim of a fraud or scam, please contact the non-emergency line at 250-652-4441.
