BURNABY RCMP are urging members of the public to be cautious with online marketplace purchases after a Burnaby resident bought what he believed to be a luxury watch that was later discovered to be counterfeit.

In November 2022, a buyer connected with a seller on Craigslist to purchase what was advertised as a Rolex Wimbledon watch, which the seller said came with a receipt and certificate of authenticity.

The buyer paid the seller $10,000 after meeting with him in Burnaby.

Shortly after the sale, the buyer become suspicious of the purchase. After getting the watch appraised, the victim discovered the watch was counterfeit. The receipt and certificate were also determined to be fake.

Burnaby RCMP are investigating the fraud, and are urging potential buyers of luxury goods to be cautious when making purchases through online marketplace websites.

“Not only was the watch a convincing fake, it also came with a receipt and certificate of authenticity, which appeared real to the victim at the time of the purchase. These items were only discovered to be fake after they were brought to an appraiser,” noted Cpl. Mike Kalanj.

“We want to remind everyone to be cautious when making these types of purchases through marketplace websites. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Buyers need to beware that scammers are always looking for targets.”

Burnaby RCMP encourage others who may have also fallen victim to the same luxury watch scam to get their item appraised.

If the item is determined to be counterfeit, they are asked to contact the Burnaby RCMP at 604-646-9999. Quote file number 22-38103.