If you’re looking for a date in Burnaby, the local RCMP cautions you to to be wary of “romance scams.”.The warning, which leads with “don’t let romance scams break your heart or your wallet” details recent extortion reports from online love-seekers in the Burnaby area..Officers have investigated as least nine such reports in the last month where adults have shared personally identifying information, such as phone numbers and home addresses, prior to being blackmailed for money..In three separate reports fraudsters sent videos that appear to show them driving to the victim’s home with “AR-15 style rifles.”.With faces covered, the videos show the individuals threatening to kill the victim and their family if they don’t pony up money..“The fraudsters follow up by sending the victims graphic photographs of dead bodies while continuing to demand money,” said Cpl. Alexa Hodgins, Burnaby RCMP..Hodgins says the sources of the video and images shared are unknown, adding that the same graphic content has been shared with multiple victims..Romance scams are nothing new to police in the Lower Mainland..Between January and August last year, Mounties in Surrey received reports from 29 people who had been ensnared in online romance scams, with a total of $1,362,269 lost..In the Lower Mainland, 213 victims lost a total of $22,463,5100 during the same time frame..However, police are particularly concerned by the graphic nature in which the recent scams have been carried out..“We have seen romance scams before, but this one is unique due to the graphic and alarming videos and pictures that are sent to the victims as a scare tactic,” said Hodgins..“We want the public to be aware of this scam method to prevent victims from sending money out of fear.”.Police suggest date-seekers use a reverse image search to see if an individual’s photos have been poached from elsewhere on the internet..As a more obvious tip, RCMP urge people to never, ever divulge their social insurance number or banking information, or even less risky information such as their full name or phone number until the potential date has been truly vetted.
