A local man has fallen victim to a telephone scam, losing $7,000 after being deceived by a fraudster posing as a police officer, according to the Trail RCMP.
The incident was reported to police on Friday morning.
An officer received the complaint from the victim, a Warfield man, who was contacted by a caller claiming to be law enforcement.
The scammer falsely informed him that his son was in jail and that $7,000 was required to secure his release on bail.
Believing the claim to be legitimate, the man transferred $6,000 via electronic money transfer and provided an additional $1,000 in gift card funds.
Later, he realized he had been defrauded and reported the incident to the RCMP.
Authorities have confirmed that the stolen money is not recoverable.
Sgt. Mike Wicentowich of the Trail RCMP warned the public about the prevalence of such scams.
"This is a very common theme used to defraud people over the phone," he said.
Wicentowich emphasized that police do not request bail money through phone calls, electronic transfers, or gift cards.
He urged anyone receiving a similar call to hang up immediately and report the incident directly to their local RCMP detachment.
