Sunshine Coast RCMP reported the following for Oct. 20 to 27:
• On Oct. 22, a Sunshine Coast resident reported being a victim of identity theft after receiving calls from a collection agency about loans that had been taken out in his name. The resident learned that two years ago, someone had used his name and date of birth to apply online for loans from a well-known lending company and had defaulted on them. Fortunately, the resident will not be held responsible for the outstanding loans, but will have to deal with various financial institutions and credit bureaus in order to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. To learn more about identity theft and how to protect yourself from falling victim, please visit sites such as the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org.
Fraud
• On Oct. 26, a Coast resident reported receiving a large number of phone calls from a male purporting to be from a debt collection company. The aggressive male told the resident that her daughter was overdue on her bills and as the resident was listed as a reference, tried to convince the resident that she was responsible to pay for the unpaid bills. When the resident denied this, the caller made a threatening remark indicating someone might be attending the resident’s house. The resident noted the number on her call display and then blocked the caller. Police queried the number online and found it had been reported multiple times in association to various scams. Fortunately, the resident never provided the scammer with any personal or financial information.
Recovered Bike
• On Oct. 20, a sharp-eyed witness noticed a friend’s distinctive bike, that been reported stolen in Vancouver last year, secured outside a residence in the 800 block of North Road, Gibsons. The witness provided a photo of the stolen bike to police who determined the bike in Gibsons was an exact match. The stolen bike was recovered and will be returned to its rightful owner. The file is still under investigation.
Traffic Stop
• On Oct. 21, police witnessed a vehicle travelling more than 30 kilometres over the posted speed limit on Highway 101 near Snodgrass Road, Sechelt. Police initiated a traffic stop with the vehicle, which was using a licence plate registered to a different vehicle. Police also noticed cannabis and paraphernalia in the back seat. The driver advised he’d smoked cannabis shortly before driving and that he had switched over the licence plate to his new vehicle but could not provide any proof of the transaction. The driver was issued a 12-hour driving prohibition as well as a violation ticket for failing to produce a driver’s licence, failing to Display “N” and no insurance. The vehicle was towed to the driver’s residence and the matter has been referred to ICBC.
Hit and Run
• On Oct. 20, a witness reported a hit and run at the intersection of Pratt Road and Gibsons Way, Gibsons, after the first vehicle rear-ended a second vehicle that was stopped at the light. The driver of the second vehicle pulled over but the first vehicle driver drove off without stopping to exchange information. Fortunately, the witness was able to provide the licence plate number of the first vehicle and police will be following up with the registered owner to issue a violation ticket for failing to remain at the scene of an accident.
Collision
• On Oct. 20, police attended a three-vehicle incident in the 5600 block of Highway 101, Sechelt, after the first westbound vehicle failed to stop in time to avoid rear-ending the second vehicle that was stopped at the intersection. The collision caused the first vehicle to rebound into a third vehicle, which was stopped in the lane beside the second vehicle. Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported by any of the three drivers, but the first two vehicles had to be towed from the scene due to damage. Impairment is not a factor in this incident. The file is still under investigation.
Impaired Driving
• On Oct. 20, police noted a vehicle parked in the 1000 block of Roberts Creek Road, Roberts Creek, registered to an unlicensed driver. Police witnessed the vehicle back out of its parking spot then suddenly pull back in before cutting the ignition. Police spoke with the driver, who advised he had borrowed the vehicle and had consumed alcohol shortly before driving. The driver, who did not have his driver’s licence on him, was given a roadside alcohol screening test. After two fail results, the driver was issued a 90-day immediate roadside prohibition and the vehicle was impounded for 30 days. The driver was also issued a violation ticket for driving with no licence. The matter has been referred to RoadSafetyBC.
Theft
• On the afternoon of Oct. 26, a suspect stole an iPad from a business in the 5600 block of Cowrie Street, Sechelt. The 10-inch rose-gold-coloured iPad was in a blue case and has been used to conduct point of sale transactions at the business. Anyone with any information about this theft is asked to contact RCMP, reference police file 2020-7503.
– Const. Jihan McDougall, Sunshine Coast RCMP
