The Oak Bay Police Department responded to 61 calls for service this week.

Jury Duty Fraud Scam

The Oak Bay Police Department is warning the public about a jury duty fraud scam following an incident reported on March 12, 2025.

Oak Bay Police were alerted to an attempted fraud where an Oak Bay resident was contacted by someone impersonating a member of the Skagit County Sheriff’s Department. The caller claimed the recipient had failed to attend jury duty and needed to pay a bond to avoid legal consequences.

The caller then transferred the conversation to another individual falsely claiming to be an Oak Bay Police officer. The fraudulent officer provided instructions to send money via Bitcoin ATMs at two local locations. The intended victim became suspicious and terminated the call before any funds were transferred.

Oak Bay Police are aware that there have been reports of similar scams in the Greater Victoria region, with incidents also reported to the Saanich Police Department. These fraudsters are known to spoof the police department’s non-emergency phone number, which happened in this incident.

Deputy Chief Kris Rice commented, “we want to remind the public that law enforcement agencies will never demand payment over the phone or request transactions via cryptocurrency or gift cards.”

The Oak Bay Police Department urges residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious calls. If you receive a call of this nature, do not provide personal or financial information. Instead, hang up and contact your local police department. You may also contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre to learn more about common scams. (File 25-620)

If you have information regarding these or any other crimes in Oak Bay, please contact the police department at

250-592-2424 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS)