The Oak Bay Police Department responded to 61 calls for service this week.
On January 9, 2023, at 3:32pm, the Oak Bay Police Department responded to a report of a break and enter to a residence in the 1000 block of Beach Drive. The complainant had previously reported a break and enter on December 28th, where several items from the home had been stolen, and called back again on January 9th, to report they had been broken into again. The complainant advised several items appeared to have been moved and placed in a manner indicating the suspect planned to return for the property later. Oak Bay Police officers set up surveillance over night and observed a pickup truck towing a cargo trailer parked across the road across from the complainant’s home. The truck and utility trailer were associated to a person heavily involved in property crime. Just after 5:00am and after several hours of surveillance, officers observed a man walking away from the residence toward the pickup truck and trailer and drove off. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver, a 54-year-old man, was arrested for possession of property obtained by crime. The man was held in custody and will appear in court later this month. (OB 2022-3954, OB 2023-70, OB 2023-74)
On January 10, 2023, at 4:10pm, the Oak Bay Police Department responded to a report of a fraud in the 2800 block of Foul Bay Road. The complainant reported they received a phone call from someone who identified themselves as an employee of BC Hydro. The “employee” told the complainant he had not paid their utility bill for their residence, and they needed to pay in bitcoin immediately so their utilities would not be shut off. The complainant made arrangement to pay $3000.00 in bitcoin to the “employee” and was subsequently scammed out of $3000.00. (OB 2023-77).
On January 11, 2023, at approximately 12:50 pm, an Oak Bay Police officer was conducting mobile patrol and traffic enforcement on Foul Bay Road near Milton St., when the officer pulled a vehicle over. While speaking to the female driver the officer detected the smell of alcohol on her breath. A roadside breath demand resulted in a “fail” and the 32-year-old female driver was given a 90-day IRP licence suspension and her vehicle was impounded. (OB 2023-101)
On January 13, 2023, at approximately 1:15 am, an Oak Bay Police officer was conducting traffic enforcement on Foul Bay Rd near Newton St. The officer observed a vehicle travelling extremely fast down the hill. The Officer visually estimated the vehicle to be travelling 100+km/h in the 50km/h zone. The Officer targeted the vehicle with a Dragoneye Lidar and it registered a speed of 128km/h. A traffic stop was conducted, and a violation ticket was issued to the 21-year-old- male driver for excessive speed ($468) under S 148(1) of the Motor Vehicle Act, and the vehicle was impounded for 7 days. (OB 2023-114)
If you have information regarding these or any crime, phone Oak Bay Police at 250-592-2424 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
A reminder to the public that legitimate businesses will not contact you by phone and demand payment by bitcoin or gift cards for you to: pay an overdue bill, to fix your computer or to bail your grandson out of jail. When you receive a high-pressure phone call demanding payment because there is a warrant for your arrest, your computer or bank account has been compromised, or you haven’t paid a bill on time; Slow Down, Catch Your Breath and Hang Up. A bank or legitimate business will not demand payment by bitcoin or gift cards and they will not ask for access to your computer or any personal banking or credit card information. IT IS A SCAM!
It is okay to be rude and hang up. Check in with two trusted people and share your experience. Hang up and take the time to evaluate the situation and make your own independent inquiries about outstanding bills, computer problems or insecure bank accounts. The “SCAMMERS” have very persuasive scripts and stories to lead you on.
Contact the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or your local police department to confirm the legitimacy of the phone call.
