VICTORIA -- The West Shore RCMP are issuing a warning after a Langford man fell prey to a $10,000 scam, which involved the scammer picking up the victim in person.

Police say the incident began on July 2 with the scammer calling the victim over the phone.

Mounties say the caller ID was disguised so that it said it was coming from the West Shore RCMP non-emergency line, a common tactic for phone fraud.

The scammer then told the victim that he had been charged with criminal offences related to his social insurance card and that he needed to deposit money into a Bitcoin account to avoid charges.

Later that day, at approximately 2:40 p.m., police say the scammer drove to the victim’s home and picked him up in a newer model red Toyota Corolla.

The fraudster then drove the victim to the Royal Bank at the West Shore Town Centre to withdraw funding for the scam.

The scammer then instructed the victim to withdraw money, and then take a taxi to a Bitcoin deposit location on Fort Street in Victoria while the scammer remained in his vehicle in the West Shore.

The victim did as told and lost a total of $10,000 to the scam.

While disguising a caller ID is common for Bitcoin scams, Mounties say it is unusual for a scammer to pick up a victim in their car.

Officers are now searching for the scammer and his red Toyota Corolla.

The scammer is described as a white man in his 40s who stands approximately 5’ 5” tall with a slim build. He has short brown hair and was wearing a light-coloured sweater and khaki pants. Police say he was not dressed in a police uniform and did not provide any police identification. He introduced himself to the victim under the pseudonym “Rayen Rosen.”

“We have canvassed the area for video surveillance but unfortunately the suspect or his vehicle were not caught on camera,” said Const. Nancy Saggar of the West Shore RCMP.

“If you were in the area at the time and have dash camera footage please look through it and contact us if you think you captured footage that can help us.”

Police say the scammer was parked near the Royal Bank at the West Shore Town Centre between 2:40 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. on July 2.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the West Shore RCMP at 250-474-2264.