Over $6 million was stolen from Oceanside residents this year through scams and other frauds. (Dreamstime)

By Jordan Davidson

scams and frauds

Over $6.2M scammed from Oceanside residents using isolation, immediacy and emotion

Dec 12, 2025 | 5:30 AM

PARKSVILLE — Scammers and fraudsters have stolen millions of dollars from mid-Island residents this year, and it might only be the tip of the iceberg.

According to Oceanside RCMP, over $6.2 million was swindled from residents in Parksville, Qualicum, Nanoose Bay and surrounding communities this year, with potentially hundreds of victims.

Sgt. Shane Worth told NanaimoNewsNOW there was a decrease of about 15 per cent in reported scams this year compared to last, but he feels many cases are going unreported.

“A lot of people don’t report because the loss is low, they don’t report because the bank has reversed their loss, if it’s a credit card fraud or something like that. They’re embarrassed to report, or they don’t feel or know or believe that the police can do very much about getting their money back.”

He said while they’ve had some success recovering money through credit card or traditional cheque frauds, scams involving cryptocurrency, gift cards, and bank accounts outside of Canada are nearly impossible to recover

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Worth said in 99 per cent of those cases, the money is gone.

Approximately $4 million of the money stolen this year is connected to a handful of larger fraud cases, still under investigation by the detachment, according to Worth.

Tactics used by scammers in these cases often force victims into quick decisions.

“[Scammers] want to work on the immediacy of the scam or the fraud they’re trying to perpetrate on you, and they’re also trying to make it emotional for you. Those are the three things that people who are out there scamming full-time, as their job, focus on…they’re trying to make sure you make a rash decision, and they try to get you emotional about it.”

In April, an Oceanside senior reported losing $160,000 to a multi-year scam involving what he thought were investments in cryptocurrency.

Another Parksville senior lost around $200,000 in September, after hearing from a friend about a cryptocurrency investment, which tricked both of them into believing they had made millions of dollars.

The detachment conducts regular training in community, speaking to local groups about current scams and common tactics used.

While older Canadians may have more money to lose after a lifetime of wealth building, younger generations with less capital are also susceptible to scammers.

“It’s nothing for them (youth) to be living their life on a device and clicking, seeing, and trusting more. I think there is that demographic there that probably is becoming victim to a scam or a fraud, but it’s just not being reported,” said Worth. “Or the loss is so low it’s not worth being reported, where older people are having those bigger losses and having to report it to us.”

AI has also made scams more sophisticated, including fake celebrity endorsements using social media as a big driver for these scams.

They can also replicate the voice of you or a loved one, such was the case last month in Nanaimo, when a couple received a phone call around 2 a.m. from their “son”, who said he had hit a child with his vehicle and needed money for his release, complete with a fake cop on the line.

However, the couple became suspicious when the “cop” requested an e-transfer to bail him out, and they hung up and phoned the police before sending any money.

Worth said the best way to protect yourself is to be aware, talk to your friends and family about them, and only deal with known and trusted sources, especially if it involves transferring money.

A quick online search of the company’s name can also bring up red flags, such was the case over the summer when an Oceanside resident lost over $100,000 responding to an ad online.

“Anything to do with cryptocurrency investments or… newer…investment platforms, the unknown platforms, the start-up platforms. Those are much more difficult for us to work with and trace. A lot of times, they’re virtual, they’re offshore, we don’t have anywhere to go with it, so it’s very, very challenging.”

He said a good rule of thumb when presented with any type of investment opportunity is that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t.

If you think you’ve been the victim of fraud, you’re urged to reach out and report it to your local RCMP detachment, or check out the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s website for more information.

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