Burnaby RCMP urges caution after online marketplace buyer is scammed with counterfeit Rolex

Burnaby RCMP is urging members of the public to be cautious with online marketplace purchases after a Burnaby resident purchased what he believed to be a luxury watch that was later was discovered to be counterfeit.

In November, 2022 a buyer connected with a seller on Craigslist to purchase what was advertised as a Rolex Wimbledon watch, which the seller said came with a receipt and certificate of authenticity.

The buyer paid the seller $10,000 after meeting in-person in Burnaby.

Shortly after the sale, the buyer become suspicious of the purchase, and after getting the watch appraised the victim discovered the watch was counterfeit. The receipt and certificate were also determined to be fake.

Burnaby RCMP is investigating the fraud, and is urging potential buyers of luxury goods to be cautious when making purchases through online marketplace websites.

Not only was the watch a convincing fake, it also came with a receipt and certificate of authenticity, which appeared real to the victim at the time of the purchase. These items were only discovered to be fake after they were brought to an appraiser, said Cpl. Mike Kalanj with the Burnaby RCMP.

We want to remind everyone to be cautious when making these types of purchases through marketplace websites. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Buyers need to beware that scammers are always looking for targets.

Burnaby RCMP encourages others who may have also fallen victim to the same luxury watch scam to get their item appraised.