Warning About Fool’s Gold Coming from Barrie Police

A new scam making the rounds has the Barrie Police Service issuing the following warning:

“The Barrie Police Service is warning the public of offers online that are definitely not worth their weight in gold. Investigators have received complaints of counterfeit gold bars being sold online through buy and sell websites such as Kijiji. At first glance the bars appear to be real and are professionally packed and are stamped with an official looking stamp resembling the Perth Mint or Royal Canadian Mint.  Although after testing the bars have shown they are nothing more than copper plated gold. The high-quality counterfeit bars are being offered in various weights and range in price from $300 to $1200, but their actual worth is about $0.25 to $2.00. Authentic bars and coins can be purchased at financial institutions and/or the Royal Canadian Mint and are accompanied with authentication. If purchasing online be cautious; if it’s too good to be true, then it’s most likely a scam. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online at www.antifraudcentre.ca  or the Barrie Police Service at 705-725-7025 ext.2112, or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.”