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Le ee ee ele

NEWS photo Tarry Peters

PROSPECTIVE PENGUIN plunger Stephanie King has second thoughts about getting her toes wet in the chilly water off
Deep Cove’s Panorama Park. Nathan Pinfield and Penguin provide tugs of encouragement. Free registration for the annual
Penguin Plunge starts at noon on New Year's Day. Plungers are scheduled to hit the water at 2 p.m. Call 987-PLAY.

Scam art

sts

target N. Shore

A NORTH Vancouver resident was
recently told she was entitled to a
Caribbean cruise and a trip to Disney
World in Florida if she contacted the
company’s vacation coordinator with-
in 72 hours.

By Richard Ostler
Contributing Writer

Kt is one of many new scams hitting the
North Shore recently. This particular scam orig-
inates in Marrieta, Georgia. What appeared to
be a free trip would have cost over $700.

Othes rip-offs include winning a Ford
Explorer or a trip to Hawaii without ever buy-
ing a lottery ticket. All that is required to obtain
these prizes is an advance payment to cover
such costs as insurance, taxes or shipping.

The so-called winners soon become losers
when they don’t receive their prize and the
money is long gone,

Local businesses have also been the target of

Local businesses,
seniors prime prey

leters from a Nigerian government official
offering a multi-million dollar business transac-
tion which is a “mutual benefit” to both parties.

The letter comes in an envelope that closely
resembles official Government: of Canada
envelopes.

“These scams are on-going and they happen,
damn-near every day,” said North Vancouver
RCMP Cpl. Gene Slobod with frustration.

One elderly woman was stopped by a con-
cerned bank manager who talked her out of
sending her savings to a Montreal-based com-
pany promising her big prizes.

But others have not been so lucky. Slobod
said a number of residents have complained to
RCMP about Josing as much as $20,000 after
sending money to these companies.

If a person is ripped aff onee, he or she will
likely be targeted again. Slobod said. their
names are added to the “sucker fist” and seat to
other fraudulent companies.

“These people (operating the scams) are
very bold and very intimidating to the point that
they are nearly threatening.” he said.

There are about 35 to 40 companies that
have contacted people in North Vancouver
offering “special deals” to unsuspecting resi-
dents. The police file of complaints on the com-
panies is about half a foot thick,

“There's a million scams out there,” Slobod
said as he glances over the files. “There are a
percentage of people who want to believe it’s a
good deal and at the end of the day they lose
their money.”

According to the police. the best way to
avoid being scammed is to know who you are
doing business with. Don't send money to peo-
ple you don’t know or do any transactions over
the telephone unless you are dealing with a rep-
utable company. And if a deal sounds too good
to he true, it probably is.

If you have questions about any special
offer, prize or company, cull the Better Business
Bureau at 682-2781, the North Vancouver
RCMP at O8S-EALE or the West Vancouver
Police at 925-7300.