RCMP investigate stolen pickup truck
By Lone Sheep Publishing
The Grand Forks RCMP is asking for public assistance in helping solve the theft of a pickup truck.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, May 21, 2023, RCMP received a report of a theft of a truck from a residence in the 5600 block of Como Road, in Grand Forks.
The victims reported that they were in the process of selling the truck and had earlier made arrangements with someone to view the vehicle later that day.
After the truck was taken, the victims were able to view the suspect on their home camera and recognized the male suspect as the same person who inquired earlier about wanting to view the truck.
An image of the stolen truck and suspect were later recovered at a local gas station. The truck is described as a red 1997 Ford Ranger with BC license plate RV9270.
This investigation is still ongoing, but anyone with any information about this crime is asked to contact the Grand Forks RCMP at 250 442 8288, or if you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers at 1 800 222 8477.
Gift card fraud
On May 19, 2023, a person reported to the Grand Forks RCMP that they suspect they may be victim of a fraud. The person reported receiving a call from a New Jersey, USA phone number from someone claiming to be from the Publishers Clearing House.
The person was told that they won $35 million USD and a 2023 Mercedes Benz. In order to claim the prize, the person was told to attend a local gas station and purchase Visa Vanilla gift cards in order to show that they were serious about claiming the prize, which would be turned over to a driver to deliver the prizes.
Unfortunately, the person did purchase the cards and provided the gift card numbers over the phone to the fraudster. Following that, the fraudster called again, this time asking for the person to attend a local bank and obtain a $4000 certified cheque. The person at this point became leery and came to the police where it was confirmed they were indeed a victim of fraud.
This is a very common fraud where unfortunately many people are still falling victim to it. While many bigger box stores have fraud alerts in place and specialized training for their staff, fraudsters are informing potential victims to attend smaller businesses where alerts and training may not be in place.
“While people are becoming more aware of the types of fraud that exist, it unfortunately still happens that people are falling victims to this crime,” said Detachment Commander Sergeant Darryl Peppler.
“A good rule of thumb is that if it seems too good to be true, then it likely is. RCMP would like to remind people to be more aware and more cautious. If someone calls to report you won a prize, especially one that you did not enter, ask many questions and never provide any personal information or purchase any gift cards.”
A valuable resource is the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) which is Canada’s central repository for data, intelligence and resources that relate to fraud. You can access this website at: www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca
Christina Lake road check stop yields results
On the evening of May 19, 2023, members of the Grand Forks RCMP along with a member of the BC Highway Patrol conducted a road check stop on Highway 3 and Santa Rosa Rd in Christina Lake.
In a 90-minute period, officers checked over 100 cars resulting in a few violation tickets being issued for drivers driving contrary to their restrictions and various warnings being given for new drivers failing to display their ‘N’ sign.
In addition, an 18-year-old female from Christina Lake was investigated for impaired driving and given a 90-day driving prohibition and the vehicle she was driving was impounded for 30 days.
