The Ridge Meadows RCMP is asking for public assistance in identifying two suspects allegedly involved in a series of fraud-related incidents in August.

In August, police officers responded to numerous complaints of grandparent scams or emergency scams, which targeted elderly resident in the Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows communities.

In these incidents, victims were contacted by the alleged suspects by telephone, and they pretended to be the lawyer of a family member in what appears to be emergency situation, asking to provide money to alleviate a bad circumstance of a loved one, such as being in jail or in a car accident. The alleged suspects would then meet with victims to complete cash transactions in person, said police.

The ongoing investigation has now led to video surveillance capturing the two alleged suspects. They are described as:

Suspect 1:

• South Asian man
• 25-30 years old
• Heavy build with short black hair and a short beard
• Pictured wearing a black t-shirt with white Tom and Jerry lettering

Suspect 2:

• South Asian man
• 20-30 years old
• Slim build with medium-long, unkempt black hair
• Pictured wearing a white t-shirt, grey sweater, grey sweatpants and black sandals

If you recognize one or both of these people, you are asked to contact Const. Anthony Duggan at 604-463-6251 and refer to File 2024-17044.

In order for law enforcement to combat fraud and cybercrime, it is essential that those who experience, or fall victim, report it to local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC). Local police are positioned to investigate the incident and the CAFC supports law enforcement by sharing information collected through the reports.