Surrey Police Seeking Supected Fraudster Who's Preyed On People's Generosity

On March 21st, 2016, a woman who identified herself as Creste GELERA (believed to be a false name), contacted the victim through a website designed to assist Filipino immigrants. The victim gave GELERA her bank account information in order for GELERA to deposit a cheque with the funds supposedly intended for a surgery that GELERA needed. 

 

After the cheque was deposited, the victim was instructed to withdraw the cash and give it to a woman named Lulu BETH (also believed to be a false name). It wasn’t long before the bank called to advise the victim that the cheque was a fake and that she had been defrauded of her money.

 

Surrey RCMP has now obtained surveillance photos of a suspect in this investigation. The pictures show an Asian female, 30 to 40 years old, with dark hair and pink highlights. At the time the suspect was wearing glasses, a grey sweatshirt, and a black vest.

 

“This is a classic fraud that preys on people’s kindness, generosity, and sincere desire to help one another, says Sergeant Alanna Dunlop. Take steps to protect yourself and your money. Wait until a cheque is cleared by the bank before withdrawing the money and never give out your banking information or passwords. It’s always a good idea to be overly cautious if you are in contact with strangers on the internet.

 

For more information on scams and frauds, visit the Surrey RCMP website.

 

If anyone recognizes the suspect, or if anyone has more information, please contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-TIPS or www.solvecrime.ca.