Coquitlam RCMP is asking drivers to call police if a pedestrian wants you to pay cash for ‘hitting’ them in the parking lot.
Since December, 2017, we’ve had at least three instances of suspected parking lot fraud in Coquitlam, says Corporal Michael McLaughlin with Coquitlam RCMP.
The suspects are on foot and they will wait until a car is backing out of spot. The suspects will pretend to get hit by the car and then try to pressure the driver into paying a cash settlement on the spot instead of calling ICBC and making a claim.
There is a strong possibility that the suspects are targeting Canadians of Asian descent and that the scam could be happening in other jurisdictions around Metro Vancouver.
One of the ways to protect yourself against fraud is to use the ICBC collision settlement process for even minor or routine claims.
If you are ever in a collision and you think you are being victimized by a fraud in progress, call 911. For all other cases of fraud, call the non-emergency number of your local police. In Anmore, Belcarra, Coquitlam or Port Coquitlam, the RCMP’s non-emergency number is 604-945-1550.
