Scammers ding locals for $6.2K: Sarnia police

Local residents fell victim to a weekend scam involving strangers seeking help paying for a taxi, Sarnia police say.

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There were two incidents reported Sunday in the commercial area on London Road, between Murphy and Lambton Mall roads, police said in a release.

In the first, a man with a small child near a taxi approached a victim and asked for $6 to pay the child’s fare. Police said the victim paid the fare using a debit card and later found it had been used for $3,800 in fraudulent purchases.

The second time, a man was approached by two men in a black sedan, with one claiming he’d booked a cab only to learn the driver didn’t take cash.

The victim agreed to use his bank card to pay a $7.50 fare in exchange for a $10 bill, police said. Later, fraudulent charges for $2,400 turned up on the card.

Police ask anyone who may have faced similar requests for help to contact Det.-Const. Pat Moloney at 519-344-8861, ext. 6239.

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“Individuals should never use their debit and or credit cards unless they are doing so at reputable businesses,” police warned.

Intruder locked self in vehicle: police

A man caught rummaging in a vehicle Monday locked himself in when officers approached, Sarnia police say.

Officers responding to a suspicious person report near Trinity Crescent and Errol Road found a bicycle learning against a vehicle, police said. A man rummaging in the vehicle’s center console locked the doors when officers got his attention.

“After a brief negotiation, the male opened the door and was arrested without incident,” police said.

A Sarnia man, 40, is charged with possessing stolen property valued at less than $5,000, possessing break-and-enter instruments, trespassing at night and failing to comply with a release order.

Area residents should check their vehicles and call police at 519-344-8861 if items are missing, police said.

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