An Oak Bay woman lost a small fortune after she fell prey to an online romance scam.
Oak Bay police say they received a report of the “romance fraud scam” on Aug. 8.
The scam spanned eight months, and during that time the victim was “manipulated and convinced” to send $20,000 to a man she met online, according to the police department.
The woman was planning on sending the scammer more money, but was stopped by her financial planner, who questioned if the decision was wise since the pair had never met in person.
Police say the investigation is ongoing.
“Police would like to remind citizens to refer to the Canada Anti-Fraud website for helpful tips to assist with anti-fraud tips,” said Oak Bay police in a release last week.
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, 21,299 people have reported being a victim of fraud in the country as of June 30, totalling about $283.5 million in lost funds.
RELATED: Oak Bay resident loses nearly $15K in credit card scam
Adam Chan
