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Fraudsters steal $20,000 from Oak Bay woman in fake ‘sting’ operation

Week’s police activity also saw DragonEye take excessive speeder off the road
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Oak Bay police remind residents that banks and government agencies do not ask for gift cards or prepaid credit cards as payment. (Black Press Media file photo)

Police remind residents banks and government services do not request payment in the form of a gift card, after a woman had $20,000 stolen by those claiming to be from a bank.

On July 15, a resident told Oak Bay police she was the victim of a fraud, the department said in a news release. Over the week previous, she’d received calls from people claiming to represent RBC Bank, who said her accounts had been compromised and to resolve the issue, she must participate in a ‘sting’ operation. The thieves accessed her computer and bank accounts. The resident also bought $20,000 worth of pre-paid Visa cards and provided the numbers on the back of the card.

The individual realized she was victim of fraud and reported to police, who recommendthis an an immediate step for anyone who has reason to believe they’ve been compromised.

READ ALSO: Driver doors cyclist in Oak Bay, faces $368 fine, demerit points

E-bike swiped from garage

A thief took advantage of an unsecured garage to steal an e-bike, reported to police July 7. The blue metallic Pedego was stolen from an underground parking area in the 1000-block of Belmont Avenue in Oak Bay. Police remind cyclists they can register their bicycles with Oak Bay police and Garage 529 to help aid in returning stolen bikes to owners.

DragonEye stops speeder

A laser eye helped take an excessive speeder off the road July 13.

Oak Bay officers were out doing enforcement using a laser device called a DragonEye Speed Lidar around 8:30 p.m. when they saw a vehicle speeding down Cedar Hill Cross Road near Crestview Road.

The DragonEye determined the driver was going 93km/h in the posted 50km/h zone. The driver was issued a ticket for excessive speed and the vehicle was impounded for seven days.

READ ALSO: Gender balance at Oak Bay police a symptom of a healthier department

Vehicles damaged in attempted theft

While nothing was reported stolen, a call to police just after 5 a.m. on July 15 reported an attempted theft from two vehicles in the parking lot of an apartment building in the 1000-block of Foul Bay Road. One vehicle sustained damage to the door locks.

Hit and run reminder

Drivers must stop and leave information if they’re in a crash, police remind residents after someone hit a parked car and left the scene July 17. Police were called to 2100-block of Sandowne Road around 11 a.m. a driver in a blue Honda Civic sideswiped a parked vehicle. The suspect driver stopped momentarily before leaving without providing licence and registration information to the complainant, which is required by law when a driver is involved in a collision.

c.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca


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