Jewelery scammers working multiple areas in Nanaimo and Parksville

The story was similar in both cases: the pair stopped and asked for directions before quickly shifting the conversation towards some jewellery they had and needed to sell for some sort of family emergency.

In one of the situations in Parksville, the woman attempted to place a necklace on a would-be victim to see how it looked on them, however Worth said it’s likely an attempt to remove legitimate pieces from the victim.

“They’re very well trained, and in that same second sleight of hand, they’re able to remove your real jewellery, and they’re off. They will tug at your emotions, they are good at it, they’re trained, just be aware.”

After striking out with the two people known to be approached in Parksville, it appears the scammers headed south to Nanaimo, where they successfully stole a necklace from an individual in a residential area of the city.

None of the three locations had any useful surveillance footage, and no license plate was reported to police.

The man and woman are both described as heavy-set and of south Asian or Middle Eastern descent.

“If someone approaches you and is trying to sell you jewellery, it’s a scam,” Worth said. “Walk away, don’t engage. This is a situation where people will talk to you and say they’re lost or they are having a family emergency and they need some money, and the conversation quickly turns to them trying to sell you jewellery or trying to give you a hug or trying to put jewellery on you.”

A similar scam was reported in July 2025, this time involving a green Jaguar SUV, where a man of Middle Eastern descent ultimately sold fake gold to a man outside a north-end grocery store for $400.

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by Alex Rawnsley

Jewelery scammers working multiple areas in Nanaimo and Parksville

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