A Langford jeweller is warning residents of a scam that’s become alarmingly common in recent months.
Cory Kowalchuk, owner of Westshore Jewelry, says he’s had at least 40 people come in the past few months looking to verify or sell jewelry they got through the same scam.
Kowalchuk says people are usually approached by a couple, sometimes with children, saying they’ve lost their wallets and need money to get the ferry. They then offer the target “expensive” jewelry at cut-rate prices. When people come to Kowalchuk’s store to re-sell it or verify its authenticity, that’s when they find out they’ve been tricked.
“Some people have been really upset, some laugh it off, some feel like they’ve been taken advantage of. You can see it on their face that, ‘Oh, I should have known better.’ That’s heartbreaking when you see somebody who’s been duped.”
Kowalchuk says he’s often seen tradespeople targeted in large parking lots like at the Westshore Town Centre. They’ll offer rings or bands, often looking rough or unpolished, and usually brass or gold in colour, often embossed with “18 karat gold.” Kowalchuk says sometimes they’re selling for as little as $20, but has seen people lose up to $700 through the scam.
“One guy comes out of the bank and gives her the $300 and she started crying. She’s like, ‘I paid so much money for this. Are you sure you can’t give me some more?’ They already won. They already got something for nothing and the greedy … needed to double down and take more of this guy’s money. That really burns me.”
West Shore RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Nancy Saggar says they’ve had a couple of reports last year about similar incidents and one that came in on Tuesday (April 11).
“Oftentimes fraudsters use emotional stories to draw in a victim. If you come across a suspicious encounter like this one, call police to report it and do not purchase the item,” she says in an email. “We recommend consumers avoid buying high-valued items like jewelry from anyone or place other than reputable businesses.”
Kowalchuk echoes that advice, saying if a deal seems too good to be true, it likely is.
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bailey.moreton@goldstreamgazette.com
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