Residents of the Parksville Qualicum Beach area are increasingly falling prey to fraudulent schemes.
On August 13th, a local individual reported a significant loss of $30,000 due to a cryptocurrency scam. Just a few days later, on August 16th, another resident was defrauded of $200 after receiving a deceptive phone call. The caller, posing as a representative from a telephone company, directed the victim to a fraudulent website where their credit card information was compromised. Fortunately, the credit card company reimbursed the resident for the stolen funds.
During the week spanning August 11th to August 17th, the Oceanside RCMP responded to a total of 322 incident reports. Among these were several other notable occurrences:
On August 11th, in the 1000 block of Herring Gull Way in Parksville, a storage container was broken into, with thieves making off with numerous brass fittings. Also on August 11th, a unique concrete bench, approximately three feet wide and adorned with a butterfly engraving on the seat, was reported missing from the front yard of a home in the 800 block of Retegno Avenue in Parksville. Furthermore, on the same day, several stalks of bamboo, which were being dried for use in fence construction, vanished from the front yard of a residence in the 6700 block of Island Highway West in Bowser.
On August 12th, a vehicle prowler, operating under the cover of darkness, pilfered an audio speaker from an unlocked car parked in the 200 block of Pioneer Crescent in Parksville. That same day, a package delivered by a courier was reported stolen from a residence situated in the 900 block of Chatsworth Road in Qualicum Beach.
On August 13th, a vehicle parked at the marina in the 1000 block of Lee Road East in Parksville was found vandalized, with the driver’s side door lock broken and the ignition system tampered with. The following day, August 14th, a report was filed concerning the theft of two ATVs and a 2009 DR Suzuki Enduro motorcycle from a storage yard in the 600 block of Alberni Highway in Parksville. Fortunately, the Nanaimo RCMP recovered the two ATVs on August 17th.
On August 15th, another vehicle parked at the marina in the 1000 block of Lee Road East in Parksville was vandalized, suffering damage to the front door lock and ignition. Also on August 15th, a male individual was spotted scavenging items from an abandoned boat in the 5400 block of Island Highway West in Qualicum Beach. On August 16th, a couple of individuals were reported trespassing on the roof of a retail establishment located in the 100 block of Middleton Avenue in Parksville during the night.
Continuing on August 16th, a delivered package was reported stolen from a residence in the 1200 block of Walz Road in Qualicum Beach. Additionally, on the same day, a female individual was seen stealing recycling bins from a business in the 3500 block of Island Highway West in Qualicum Beach. Finally, a black Trek Mountain bicycle and a black Trek FX7.3 bicycle were reported stolen in the 1000 block of Resort Drive in Parksville.
On August 17th, a break-in occurred at a non-profit commercial building located in the 100 block of Hirst Avenue West in Parksville.
In the event of witnessing a crime in progress, please dial 911 immediately. For non-emergency matters, the Oceanside RCMP can be reached at 250-248-6111. The detachment is located at 421 Pym Street North, Parksville, and is open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.