Mission RCMP investigates carjacking, $30K crypto fraud in busy week

MISSION — Of the 273 calls for service during the week of Monday, March 20 through Sunday, March 26, a carjacking and a report of $30,000 in cryptocurrency fraud highlight a busy week for Mounties in the city on the Fraser River.

Mission RCMP wrote on Facebook that a female was walking to her vehicle on Thursday, Mar. 23 in the parking lot of a grocery store in Mission when two males attacked her and stole her truck. Mounties say Mission RCMP quickly located the vehicle fleeing the scene, but the driver took steps to flee. The driver crashed the truck into a parked area in the area of 1st Avenue and Alder Street. Officers located the driver nearby and arrested a 19-year-old from Alberta for numerous offences including robbery and possession of stolen property. He is being held in custody for a bail hearing. His accomplice wasn’t located, and the female victim went to hospital with minor injuries.

In the crypto-currency fraud incident, a man told police he had been scammed out of $30,000 in a scam by a company that purported to be operating in Europe. The unidentified company encouraged the male to invest in a series of crypto-currency purchases and provided fake results of investment gains, leading the victim to believe that he was actively earning money on his investment. However, the ruse unfolded when the victim asked to withdraw his money and realized it was a sam. No investments had been made and the money he invested disappeared, police said. Mission RCMP say investors are cautioned to ensure that they are dealing with legitimate financial institutions and to avoid lesser-known companies that operate only online or overseas.