Staying vigilant is the only way to stay safe in these crimes (Brady Lang/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Brady Lang

growing issues

RCMP warn public to stay aware in wake of ‘tourism crime’

Mar 29, 2019 | 5:00 PM

As businesses and the common consumer try to make ends meet, a growing issue continues to pop up on the prairies.

Crime tourism is a growing issue that continues to plague many consumers when it comes to multiple schemes, some of which include break and enters, scams, and thefts, all with links to organized crime rings. This issue comes down to one specific correlation, according to Battlefords RCMP Staff Sgt. Darcy Woolfitt.

“(For) a lot of these people, it’s a lifestyle,” he said. “They understand what the laws are; they also understand the threshold that they have to meet for it to be a criminal offence.”

With crime tourism, the criminals understand that if they do get caught, they’re not going to be prosecuted to the fullest, due to some of the country’s laws, Woolfitt said. The suspects are well versed in the criminal code and find ways around additional charges.

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The latest scams popping up include everything from posing as door-to-door salespeople, to committing sleight of hand transactions, and jewelry theft.

The tourists are not citizens that reside locally, and that’s where things get murky, Wollfitt said. New visa laws instituted in the past five years have opened up a floodgate of tourism.

For Woolfitt, he believes knowledge is the strongest defense in these instances.

“The biggest thing we can do is inform the public, so the public is fully aware,” he said.

Woolfitt pointed to an incident back in May 2018, where police received complaints of individuals attempting to sell fake jewelry. The police confirmed that three couples were involved in pedalling the fake merchandise to get enough money to travel home.

The suspects were seen in a black 2018 Dodge Charger with Manitoba license plates, but nothing confirmed they were from that province.

For Woolfitt, the fraud or scam attempts can be summed up quite simply.

“If it seems a little suspicious, or it seems highly suspicious and too good to be true, chances are it is going to be too good to be true. (People need to) remain aware,” he said.

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brady.lang@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @BradyLangBFN