The Nanaimo RCMP is warning of a fake gold scam making the rounds.
The most recent incident occurred around 12:30 p.m. Monday July 28, in the parking lot of the Real Canadian Superstore located on Metral Drive.
The complainant told police that while loading groceries into his vehicle he was approached by a man who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent wearing traditional clothing.
From his body language, and tone of his voice he appeared to be very upset.
He told the complainant that his wife was scheduled for emergency surgery in Dubai, and that he needed money to purchase a plane ticket to return home.
He removed a thick gold necklace from his neck and two rings from his fingers, and offered them to the complainant in exchange for $400.
The complainant felt sorry for the individual and without hesitation he handed over the money.
The suspect then left, driving away in a newer model green Jaguar SUV.
The complainant later brought the items to a gold buyer for authenticity testing -- and was told the items were fake.
To learn about this scam and others, you can browse scams here: the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre website.