VANCOUVER Police are warning Chinese community members to be wary of three scams that have resulted in victims losing nearly six million dollars since the beginning of this year.

“Vulnerable and unsuspecting people in our community are being tricked into sending thousands of dollars to people they’ve never met,” said Constable Tania Visintin on Friday. “By the time they realize they’ve been scammed, the fraudsters have disappeared and their money is gone.”

VPD Financial Crime detectives are investigating 26 files from people who have reported falling victim to the three scams since January 1, and investigators believe there may be more people who have not come forward.

In the first scam, a victim receives a call from a spoofed phone number from a suspect impersonating a Chinese police officer. The victim is told that they are in trouble with the authorities in China because their phone or identity has been used to commit crimes. They are then tricked into sending money to banks located in Hong Kong to clear up the matter.

The second scam targets the elderly in the form of a “blessing scam.” Typically, victims are approached by a group of strangers who tell them bad luck or ill health will happen to them or their loved ones unless they pay the suspect in cash or jewelry. The suspects prey on the victim’s spiritual beliefs and fear that bad things will happen to their loved ones. In some cases, the scammers will exchange jewelry and cash for a worthless gift.

The third scam advertises jobs on posters that are written in traditional Chinese. The poster offers the potential of earning $100 to $300 per day making jewelry or artwork. Once the victim calls for more details about the job, the scam switches to a romance or investment scam.

“We’re working hard to investigate these crimes and to identify suspects,” said Visintin. “We’re asking everyone, especially those in the Chinese community, to spread the word about these scams with elderly family and friends. We don’t want anyone else to be victimized.”

Anyone who believes they’ve been victimized by these scams is asked to call the VPD non-emergency line at 604-717-3321 to make a report.