Released by:
Cpl. Jeff Witzke
Columbia Valley RCMP
This past week, November 28 through December 5, the Columbia Valley RCMP responded to 48 calls for service. The following is a summary of some of the file our officers responded to.
On Monday November 28, the RCMP were made aware of an 18-wheeler transport truck that had been parked at a pullout just off Highway 95 near Brisco for the last 48 hours. Members attended the location where they located the vehicle still parked. The driver was inside and informed members that he became ill and was waiting until he felt better before carrying on.
On Tuesday November 29, the RCMP received a report from a person who fell victim to a fraudulent phone scam. The victim received a call from someone pretending to be with FIDO and was wanting personal information; date of birth, drivers license, social insurance number etc.
On December 1, the RCMP were made aware of a mischief to a vehicle in Invermere. The vehicle was parked in an underground parkade where someone cut out the catalytic converter. It is unknown when the theft occurred as the vehicle had been parked for the last six months.
On December 1, the RCMP received a report of a fraudulent scam that occurred over Facebook. The complainant put a deposit down for a piece of equipment that was being sold on Facebook and located in Cranbrook. When the complainant went to pick up the item, the address in Cranbrook was real, however the owner had no idea what was going on and had not posted any items on Facebook for sale.
The RCMP receive numerous complaints regarding fraudulent scams every week. A lot of these scams are very convincing and it can be difficult to differentiate between a real company and a fraudulent caller. If interested in learning more about the recent scams and frauds, you can go online and visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
