The 100 Mile House RCMP are asking residents to take precautions after an instance of online fraud was reported on Dec. 12.
Sgt. Brian Lamb said the reported fraud was one of 68 calls to service 100 Mile RCMP received between Dec. 10 and Dec. 17. The incident occurred after the complainant saw an ad for a utility trailer on a Facebook classified page and contacted the seller. The seller had allegedly requested a deposit and an e-transfer, which the complainant sent.
After receiving the payment the alleged fraudster directed the complainant to an address in the 100 Mile House area. When the complainant arrived the homeowner told them they did not have a trailer for sale and had nothing to do with the listing. The seller did not respond to any further communication requests by the complainant.
Lamb noted they have received several similar reports of scams like this in the past and that often the 'seller's' profile is false or cloned from a real person.
"Each case involved the seller requesting a deposit by e-transfer prior to viewing the item. It is recommended that no cash exchange is conducted by any means unless you have viewed the item and or spoken with the seller in person," Lamb said. "As well as being cautious of ads for items for prices that are too good to be true."
Stuck snowmobilers rescued
100 Mile RCMP responded to a report on Dec. 11 of two persons who had been stuck while snowmobiling on Mica Mountain near the Spanish Forest Service Road due to mechanical issues. South Cariboo Search and Rescue were called and located the two individuals unharmed.
Lamb said both individuals had been well prepared for the backcountry with a GPS device as well as warm clothing and food/water. Both were able to provide their exact location by GPS coordinates and were quickly found by SCSAR as a result.
Search warrants conducted by RCMP lead to weapon-related charges
100 Mile RCMP conducted simultaneous search warrants on Dec. 12 on two rural properties in the 100 Mile House area with a large police presence for weapons-related offences.
As a result of this operation, Lamb said officers took a 48-year-old male into custody. The male has been charged with possession of a prohibited weapon and failure to comply. He remains in custody.
Vehicle and cell phone taken in separate thefts
100 Mile RCMP received two separate complaints of theft from the 100 block of Wrangler Way on Friday, Dec.13. Lamb said officers were told that a cell phone had been taken from a commercial location, which had been tracked to a parking lot at 365 Highway 97 and found on the ground.
The second complaint, RCMP say was a theft from a vehicle where an oxygen tank was taken - which Lamb described as "a smaller cylinder in a blue backpack." RCMP believe both incidents occurred in the evening hours.
Those with any information about these incidents and others are asked to call the 100 Mile House RCMP at 250-395-2456 or anonymously 24 hours a day at Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at bccrimestoppers.com.