Fake gold jewelry scam tricks 5 people in Kitchener

Waterloo Regional Police are warning the public that not all that glitters is gold after five people bought jewelry that turned out to be worthless. 

Investigators are looking at a total of five recent cases, dating back to February, where people were allegedly ripped off by a man and a woman selling fool's gold, according to Waterloo Regional Police spokesperson Olaf Heinzel. 

"We want to make the public aware to be careful and, second of all, we want to find out who these people are because, if the information we have so far pans out, there's likely to be charges involved," he said.

The suspects used different vehicles at different times, according to police. The list includes a white minivan, a grey or silver four-door car, a black four-door car, and a grey Hyundai SUV.

Where it's happened

All five cases happened in Kitchener at the following locations and on the following dates: 

• February 23 at a strip mall at 700 Strasburg Road in the city's Strasburg and Block Line area.
• March 11 in the city's Highland Road East and Stirling Avenue South area.
• April 9 in the city's Ottawa Street South and Mill Street area.
• June 2 on Walton Avenue in Kitchener.
• June 17 in downtown Kitchener.

How the scam works

Police allege the man and woman operate as a team, using a very convincing sales routine to try to dupe their unwary victims into buying what they claim is real gold at a discount. In fact, the items are worthless and in some cases are costume jewelry.

"This is an old scam," Heinzel said. "Whether it's jewelry or somebody selling stereo equipment out the back of a van, it's the same idea. People sometimes get intrigued by the fact they could be saving some money." 

In one case, Heinzel said a woman lost $4,000 when the suspects used a technique police call a "distraction theft," where a real piece of jewelry is deftly swapped for a fake one when the suspects show the victim how it looks around their neck.

Heinzel said the pair also uses a tactic where they offer to sell jewelry to a person in exchange for money that they claim will be used in an emergency. 

"These two people are obviously very convincing in persuading people to purchase something even though they may know the risks that they wouldn't be taking if they were going to an established business where they would have a warranty or guarantee and ability to return items," he said.   

What the suspects look like

• The man is described as having brown skin, possibly being South Asian, being 45-years-old, having short brown or grey hair, sometimes having a moustache or stubble.
• The woman is described as being either Caucasian or South Asian, being in her 40s, having black hair, often wearing a head scarf and veil. 

Police say both suspects have thick accents. 

Investigators ask that anyone who has information that can assist police in this case to call Waterloo Regional Police at 519-653-7700 Ext # 4499 or Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-8477.