Scammers target victims of crime in Red Deer, says RCMP

A sort of criminal double-whammy is hitting residents of Red Deer, Alta., according to RCMP.

Police are warning of so-called "assist-to-recover" scams that target those who've had property stolen. The scammers contact victims who have posted about their loss online, saying they have the stolen goods and will return them for a fee.

Often the scammersask for a money transfer and say they'll reveal the location of the goods once the funds are received.

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"The sharing of information on social media regarding stolen vehicles and other property has been of great help to police; citizens who visit those pages frequently recognize and report stolen vehicles, resulting in arrests, criminal charges and the return of stolen property to its rightful owners," said RCMP in a news release.

"The rise of these extortion tactics, however, is a reminder that criminals are looking at the same sites in search of potential victims."

Mexican timeshares

In addition to stolen property scams, RCMP have also notice the resurgence in a scam involving Mexican time shares, this time with an "assist-to-recover" chaser.

The particular scam involves contacting owners of time shares and pretending to represent an interested buyer. The owners are called by someone purporting to be a lawyer and are asked for up-front fees for closing costs, taxes, maintenance and other fees, according to police.

Once the victim hands over the money, they are then contacted again, this time by someone claiming they can recoup the lost cash.

"Unfortunately, the time share scam originates in Mexico, and once the victim's money has been transferred out of the country, there is littleRCMPcan do to pursue the scammers," reads a news release.

Owners of time share are warned to be suspicious of any organizations that do the following:

• Cold calls.
• Asks forup-front payment.
• Claim they have a buyer waiting.
• Asks for an ownership certificate.
• Pressures you to make a decision quickly.
• Asks for credit card details and other personal information.
• Is calling from a 1-900 telephone prefix.