Nanaimo RCMP say social media played a big role in locating and arresting a 34-year-old man accused of defrauding multiple women he met online.
Mounties were searching for Jordan David Shepherd, a local man wanted on seven counts of fraud including one that prompted a Canada-wide warrant.
Officers found Shepherd at around 2:30 a.m. as he slept in a car parked outside a local motel. He was taken into custody without incident.
Nanaimo RCMP spokesman Const. Gary O'Brien said that after police posted a news release about Shepherd to Facebook Wednesday, it struck a nerve.
"Social media was huge. It was the largest trending story we've ever had on our Facebook account," said O'Brien. "We had a lot of tips coming in from the public last night. In fact another victim came forward, and that person will be spoken to probably today or tomorrow."
Shepherd was wanted for incidents that allegedly took place in Nanaimo, Ladysmith and New Westminster between February and August 2017.
Police said he would befriend women in their mid-20s and early 30s on dating sites like Plenty of Fish, then ask them to cash a cheque of his and transfer him the money.
Once they did, Shepherd would disappear and the women would learn from the bank that that cheque had bounced, causing them to be out thousands of dollars, according to RCMP.
"A lot of people are using these dating sites now, they use it for legitimate means to have a relationship or move on," said O'Brien. "But he used it for his financial gain."
Shepherd was scheduled to make an appearance in Nanaimo Provincial Court on Thursday.
