Sunshine Coast RCMP reported the following for April 26 to May 3:
Scams
• A Coast resident reported a variation on the popular Microsoft scam after a message popped up on her iPad purporting to be from Apple. The message advised that the device was infected with a virus and to call the number on the screen to sign up for a protection plan. The resident did, and gave her credit card number to pay for the plan. Only after hanging up with the call taker did the resident realize she’d fallen for a common computer scam.
Another Coast resident was called by someone purporting to be from a well-known computer security company. The caller told the resident that his computer was compromised and that the resident would need to download a program so the problems could be fixed remotely. The resident did as he was instructed, which allowed the caller access to the hard drive. The next day, he noticed that two withdrawals for large amounts of monies had been made through his online banking account. The resident contacted his bank to have the account shut down, but it is unlikely the funds will be recovered.
To learn more about these two scams and others, see the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org
Collisions
• On April 28, police attended a single-vehicle incident involving a commercial vehicle in the northbound lane of the 15900 block of Highway 101, Egmont. The tractor trailer had rolled over and spilled its load, blocking one lane. The driver was able to exit the vehicle on his own but sustained non-life threatening injuries. The owner of the vehicle arranged for recovery of the spilled load and local fire crews assisted with cleaning up the diesel that had leaked out from the vehicle fuel tank. The vehicle was towed and secured for inspection by the Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement branch. The file is under investigation.
• On April 29, police attended a collision in the 5600 block of Cowrie Street, Sechelt, involving one moving vehicle and two parked cars. It appears that two children were arguing in the back seat of the moving vehicle, which caused the driver to look back momentarily, leading him to veer into one parked vehicle, pushing it into the back of a second parked vehicle. The driver and two occupants of the first vehicle were uninjured, but the vehicle sustained significant front-end damage. The second vehicle sustained minor front and back-end damage and the third vehicle did not sustain any visible damage, although it was pushed a fair distance in the collision. The matter has been referred to ICBC.
• On May 2, police attended a single-vehicle incident at School Road and Wildwood Crescent, Gibsons, after a driver in the 700 block of School Road panicked when she could not press the brake fully while backing out of her residence and placed the vehicle in neutral thinking that would stop it moving. The vehicle entered School Road where it coasted approximately 35 metres until it struck a fire hydrant and came to a stop. The driver was uninjured but the vehicle sustained significant damage. The fire hydrant did not break but was pushed off its base. The matter has been referred to ICBC.
Impaired and prohibited drivers
• On April 30, police initiated a traffic stop in the 7700 block of Highway 101, Halfmoon Bay, with a vehicle that had inactive licence plates on it. The driver advised that he bought the truck a few months prior but had failed to register it properly and had been using licence plates from another vehicle. The driver was also found to be prohibited from driving. He was released on a promise to appear for the prohibited driving charge, and also received violation tickets for no insurance, failing to register vehicle and wrong number plate. The vehicle was also impounded.
• On April 30, police witnessed a vehicle fail to stop at a stop sign intersection on Roberts Creek Road at Beach Avenue, Roberts Creek. The vehicle was pulled over and the driver admitted to having consumed alcohol. The 56-year-old female driver was given two roadside alcohol screening tests, both of which resulted in a “Fail.” The driver was issued a 90-day immediate roadside prohibition and her vehicle was impounded for 30 days.
• On May 1, police witnessed a vehicle take a wide right turn off Wharf Avenue onto Highway 101, Sechelt, crossing the centre line before righting itself and accelerating at a high rate of speed. Police followed the vehicle and observed the vehicle driving more than 30 kilometres over the posted speed limit. Police pulled the vehicle over and gave the driver two roadside alcohol screening tests which both resulted in a “Fail.” The 42-year-old female driver was issued a 90-day immediate roadside prohibition and her vehicle was impounded for 30 days.
• On May 1, a witness reported a possible impaired driver eastbound on Highway 101 in Davis Bay after the vehicle kept swerving into the oncoming lane at erratic speeds and repeatedly failed to maintain its lane. Police located the vehicle in Gibsons and initiated a traffic stop. Police noticed the odour of alcohol emanating from the vehicle and the driver exhibiting signs of impairment. The 45-year-old male driver was given a roadside alcohol screening test and after two “Fail” results, was issued a 90-day immediate roadside prohibition and his vehicle was impounded for 30 days.
Suspicious circumstance
• Around midnight on April 29, a Halfmoon Bay resident was outside barbecuing when he returned inside his residence and found a strange male standing inside. The resident immediately told the intruder to get out, and the intruder apologized and left the residence. Police located the intoxicated 20-year-old intruder nearby. He had been at a party and fell off his bike while trying to ride home. He entered the residence thinking it was his, and was very apologetic when he realized he was in the wrong house. He was taken home by police.
