Good Day Block Watch Captains, Co-Captains & Participants,

West Vancouver Police have responded to 490 calls for service since our March 14th Block Watch Crime Prevention Update.

Click Here For Updated West Vancouver Crime Alerts

Break & Enter

Unattended West Vancouver homes with no active alarms provided unfortunate opportunities for suspects in two Residential Break-ins since our last update.  A gardening contractor checking a British Properties home near Capilano Golf Club for an owner away discovered a break-in through an unlocked door. Suspects had also opened several taps and left the water running causing extensive damage throughout.

Meantime, a friend checking a home near Ridgeview Elementary for a vacationing owner found suspects had broken in through an upper floor balcony window. No alarm was activated. Cash & bank cards were stolen. Unfortunately, the victim’s own step ladder, left unsecured on the property, was used to access the upper floor.

If you’re going to be away, ensure your property is secure, with any alarm or security systems checked and active.

Also, since our last update, suspects forced entry to a residential storage shed in the Sentinel Hill area, stealing two e-Bikes.

Theft

Valuables left in unattended vehicles led to new Theft from Auto reports. Among the reports, construction tools were stolen from a truck parked roadside in the Benbow Park area. A personal computer, sunglasses and other personal accessories were stolen from a vehicle in a Westmount area residential driveway. Thieves smashed through vehicle windows in both reports.

March is Fraud Prevention Month

Fraud reports since our last update unfortunately include a Cedardale area resident falling victim to the Grandparent/Fake Bail Scam, and another resident who clicked on a link in an unsolicited text message. The victim was asked for personal information and realized later it has been a scam when unauthorized transactions began to appear on their bank account.

The Fake Invoice Scam

The email at left is one of over a half dozen different variations of a persistent scam attempt received at my police department work email just since our last update, the ‘Fake Invoice’ scam. All claimed to be with a well-known computer anti-virus company. All claimed a new payment has already been processed for a product I know I did not purchase.  That’s the bait, hoping to lure me to contact them to clarify I made no such order. If you take the bait, they will ask for personal information to “clear things up”.  All the emails came from a variety of G-mail addresses with no resemblance to the actual company name.  All are now safely ignored, blocked & deleted.

As National Fraud Prevention Month winds down across Canada, we urge you to remain alert throughout the year and contact us if you need information.

Please freely share Fraud Prevention information we provide through Block Watch with your family & personal network. 

Our Community Services Team conducts regular Fraud & Crime Prevention Presentations in the community throughout the year.  If you would like to book a presentation for your community or social group, please don’t hesitate to email [email protected]. We thank North Shore Volunteers For Seniors for the opportunity to share information during with their members this week.

Please review all Fraud types with members of your family, particularly with any elderly family members or others who may be especially vulnerable.   Email [email protected] for a pdf copy of “The Little Black Book of Scams” or check the links below to detailed Fraud Information from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and Canada Revenue Agency.

Click Here For The Latest Scam Alerts from the Canada Revenue Agency

Click Here For Fraud Prevention Information From The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre

Anytime you see activity of concern, please don’t hesitate to call West Vancouver Police. Call 604-925-7300 for non-emergency matters.

Call 9-1-1 in an emergency, including events that involve an immediate threat to a person or property or to report a substantive crime in progress.

For updated crime alerts anytime click westvanpolice.ca/crime-alerts.  

Jeff Palmer

Block Watch & Operational Support Coordinator

West Vancouver Police

t: 604-925-7300