By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban
A plethora of scams in the west end and West Island, and across the province, in which people are robbed of their jewellery through distraction crimes, has also hit Côte St. Luc.
A senior resident there had his Rolex watch — valued at between $20,000 and $25,000 — stolen in broad daylight.
The resident’s daughter, a CSL resident who did not want her name or that of her parents used, said the incident took place May 11 on Kellert, right near Hebrew Academy.
The Suburban was told by the daughter that her parents, 76 and 78, had returned from a trip to Costco and were tired.
“As they were finished unloading the car, a couple in a car suddenly stopped right in front of them,” the daughter wrote in an email to The Suburban. “The woman leaned out and, without so much as a proper hello, asked, ‘Where can I find an Arabic supermarket?’ My mom replied with a bit of confusion, ‘Adonis?’ The woman said, ‘Yes! My mom started explaining where the store was to the man that was in the driver’s seat.”
The daughter added that while her mother was giving directions, a woman who appeared to be wearing a hijab approached her father and began to cry, claiming her own father was very sick, “like a scene straight out of a scammer’s training manual.
“Then she told my dad she has her dying father’s watch and begged him to bless it. My dad, being decent and probably caught off guard, went along. She literally took his real watch off his wrist and slipped on some cheap plastic garbage like it was nothing. She even lowered his head as if she giving him some spiritual blessing — all while robbing him blind.” The parents then discovered the Rolex was gone.
The daughter told The Suburban that the police told her “this has happened multiple times across the city.
“When I asked why they haven’t been caught yet, the answer was simple — not enough evidence and no opportunity to catch them in the act. So I have to ask… is our city even safe anymore?”
In a phone interview, the daughter said these scammers are targeting elderly people, “which is very sad.
“I was more disappointed in the police, in their reaction. I understand they have a lot going on with the rallies going on all the time. Montreal is not the same, and CSL is being threatened too. I grew up here, and we never had these issues. It’s scary. This time, they didn’t hurt my parents, tomorrow, they’re going to start hurting if somebody refuses to give.”
The daughter said members of the community should be wary of people asking for directions and breaking down in fake tears, and called for more security measures in CSL.
Mayor Mitchell Brownstein pointed out to The Suburban that CSL has volunteer Citizens On Patrol (vCOPS), Public Security, as well as Station 9 police, “which is more than other cities, so our city is safer than most.”
CSL Public Safety Director Philip Chateauvert told The Suburban that “given our significant elderly population and our priority on safety, we have instructed CSL staff to remain especially vigilant during patrols.
“Mayor Brownstein is right to point out that with Public Security (PS) and vCOP, we have put ourselves in the best position to maintain a safe and peaceful community. I must acknowledge that this type of crime is particularly challenging to prevent, as it often occurs rapidly, and victims may not even notice immediately. Rest assured, we will continue to collaborate with the SPVM to adopt the best strategies and practices to combat distraction theft.”
The SPVM has also issued tips regarding such scams, advising the public to “travel in a group whenever possible, hide your valuable jewellery until you reach your destination” and “refuse a gift from a stranger and do not let that person come close to you.” n