The Victoria Police Department, along with financial crimes investigators, are seeking the public’s help identifying a suspect in a fraud, which cost a Victoria business nearly $100,000
According to a police report issued on Tuesday, investigators are looking into the incident after receiving a report of substantial fraud that took place on Nov. 4 at a downtown Victoria jeweller.
Investigators with the Investigation Support Unit (ISU) and Financial Crimes were deployed and they found that on Oct. 29, a man had attended the jeweller and selected two high-end watches for purchase.
Police said that, after choosing the watches, the suspect left the store and returned later with a bank draft for the purchase of the watches.
“While the bank draft itself was legitimate, the suspect had acquired it through a sophisticated scheme in which he fraudulently transferred funds from a customer’s account using false identification,” said VicPD in the police report.
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The Victoria jeweller, which has suffered the financial loss from the fraud, said the value of the watches was just under $100,000.
Police are describing the suspect as a man with a heavy-set build. He had short dark brown hair, which was thinning at the crown, and brown eyes. A dark brown beard with grey flecks was seen sticking out from below the man’s mask.
Police add that at the time of the fraud he wore a black buttoned-up cardigan sweater, a white dress shirt open at the collar, a white t-shirt, black shoes, and had silver aviator-style sunglasses tucked into the sweater.
The suspect also wore a hand or finger cast on his left hand.
According to Victoria Police, the fraudster was in the company of another man, who is described as taller and of a slimmer build than the suspect above. The second man was wearing dark coloured clothing and can be seen below.
Investigators have reason to believe that the first suspect travelled on the BC Ferries, leaving Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen on the 7 p.m. sailing on Oct. 29.
In addition to asking for help in identifying the suspects, investigators are also looking to identify locations they may have travelled to or the vehicle they may be associated with.
Anyone with information on these two men or is being asked to call Victoria Police at (250) 995-7654, ext 1.
To report what you know anonymously, please call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Graham Cox
