Police seek woman allegedly selling fake gold out of vehicle

A woman allegedly selling fake gold out of a black Dodge Caravan is the subject of a Windsor police fraud investigation.

Patrol officers were called to the 800 block of Hall Avenue on Monday after a complainant reported having been swindled out of cash at around 3 p.m.

A female driver in an older model black Dodge Caravan reportedly approached the complainant, who was outside, and offered a large bag of gold jewelry in exchange for cash, police said in a news release on Tuesday. The woman said the jewelry was worth a substantial amount of money, and she was offering it for much less.

She also told the complainant she was trying to escape a domestic relationship and needed the money. She had multiple children in the vehicle at the time. The complainant accepted the offer and later confirmed the jewelry was fake before contacting police.

The suspect is described as female, 30 to 40 years old, between four feet and four-feet-10-inches tall, with a chubby build and green eyes. She wore a blue hijab, black shirt and blue coat.

The financial crimes unit is asking anyone who may have been approached by this woman or who bought jewelry from her to contact police. Anyone in the area where the incident happened who has video surveillance cameras is asked to check their footage.

“The financial crimes unit would like to remind the public that you should never exchange money or other items with persons who are not known to you or are (not) confirmed to be from a reputable company,” the news release said. “If something appears too good to be true, it likely is. Always report suspicious behaviour to police ...

“If approached by someone trying to sell goods, especially under suspicious circumstances, a description of the vehicle, including the make, model and license plate should be obtained if possible. A description of the occupants should also be ... reported.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 519-2556700, ext. 4334, or ext. 4000 after hours. Should you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 (TIPS) or catchcrooks.com.