Weekly Report: Monday, January 16 to Sunday, January 22, 2023, inclusive.

Please note all information below occurred within the time period above, unless otherwise noted.

Saskatchewan RCMP — Your Provincial Police Service

Proper use of headlights is always a bright idea.

Not only is it the law, but using them correctly helps keep you, your passengers and others on the road, safe. Headlights serve a dual purpose: they help others see you, and help you see obstacles and hazards around you.

Saskatchewan RCMP reminds drivers to:

  • Always check to ensure your headlights and taillights are clear of dirt and snow before driving.
  • Use headlights from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise, and any time visibility is poor such as in rain, snow, fog or smoke – this is a requirement under the Traffic Safety Act. In December, Saskatchewan RCMP ticketed 23 drivers for this dangerous infraction.
  • Replace burnt out lights as soon as possible. It’s dangerous and illegal to drive with one headlight or taillight.
  • Use high beams when driving in the dark, or when appropriate. Remember to switch to low beams when passing or following another vehicle – the Traffic Safety Act requires you to do so.
  • Make sure you don’t overdrive your headlights: maintain a speed that lets you react to anything in the distance lit up by them.

Investigative Recap

Ongoing missing person investigations. Saskatchewan RCMP continues to ask for public assistance locating the following missing individuals:

 January 17: Saskatchewan RCMP, Regina Police Service continue to investigate break-ins: more charges laid

January 18: Carnduff RCMP respond to fatal motor vehicle collision near Carnduff

January 19: Beauval RCMP: weapons investigation results in police seizing a plastic egg with an unexpected surprise

 January 19: Investigation by Saskatchewan RCMP’s Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team (WEST) determined a male, wanted on a Correctional Service Canada warrant for being unlawfully at large, was at a residence on Red Pheasant First Nation. WEST officers attended the residence and arrested 25-year-old Drayden Stone from Saskatoon without incident. Saskatchewan RCMP’s North Battleford Crime Reduction Team and Battlefords detachment assisted with the arrest.

Background:

The Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Team (SERT) consists of Saskatchewan RCMP’s Crime Reduction Team (CRT) and Warrant Enforcement Suppression Team (WEST), as well as the Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team (STRT). SERT will help the Saskatchewan RCMP continue to fulfil its mandate as the province’s police force – keeping our communities safe.

January 19: Saskatchewan RCMP’s Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team asks the public to report sightings of wanted males, Devon Ebach and Vincent Williamson

 January 20: North Battleford Crime Reduction Team arrests wanted male, asks public to report sightings of second wanted male

January 20: At approximately 6:55 p.m., Esterhazy RCMP received a report of a collision between a train and an SUV at a crossing in Churchbridge, SK. The driver of the SUV, a 41-year-old male from Churchbridge, was declared deceased by EMS at the scene. His family has been notified. There were two passengers in the SUV and both were taken to hospital: a male youth with injuries described as serious but non-life-threatening, and a female youth with injuries described as non-life-threatening. Esterhazy RCMP continue to investigate with the assistance of a Saskatchewan RCMP collision reconstructionist and CP Police Service.

January 21: Meadow Lake RCMP asking for assistance locating suspect or vehicle after potential attempted abduction on Highway 4

Saskatchewan RCMP warn of cryptocurrency frauds

Saskatchewan RCMP have noticed an increase in the number of cryptocurrency files from January 1st to December 31st 2022. Impacted detachment areas include:

Swift Current City

Swift Current RCMP received 105 reports of people being victimized by fraudulent calls, many involving cryptocurrency. In total, victims have reported more than $361,000 in cryptocurrency fraud losses.

Maidstone

Maidstone RCMP received 37 reports of people being victimized by fraudulent calls, many involving cryptocurrency. In total, victims have reported more than $570,000 in cryptocurrency fraud losses.

The scams have been reported to have taken place through the following tactics:

  • Authoritative fraud: a scammer pretends to be from a government agency, like the CRA or police, and demands payments for outstanding taxes or warrants for arrests. The scammer instructs victims to go to a cryptocurrency ATM in the city to purchase and send cryptocurrency.
  • A “learn to trade in crypto program”: involves a scammer demanding a victim to send money to be able to learn how to trade cryptocurrency and make money. The scammer tells the victim to either send more money since the first amount never arrived, or to pay to send learning materials through the mail for the learning program.
  • False advertising: Other reports include scammers luring victims using investment opportunities for cryptocurrencies to make a profit by creating links on various social media advertisements to steal investments. Scammers entice victims to invest from their personal savings and restrict all access to their accounts. Scammer create a fraudulent company online, or compromise a victim’s digital wallet– resulting in a complete loss of funds.

Constable Tyson Maxwell is one of two Crypto Coordinators for the Saskatchewan RCMP, under the Federal Serious and Organized Crime unit. He reviews crypto currency files for the entire Division and provides officers with recommendations on how to investigate these files.

“There are thousands of different cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency companies in the market today. Some are legitimate companies, while others may have weak online security or are completely fraudulent,” says Cst. Maxwell. “Investigating cryptocurrency fraud is complex as perpetrators are often at various international locations, or hiding through hard to trace IP addresses.”

The RCMP have resources available to track and trace some transactions, but they need to act fast. Multiple departments and agencies may be needed to investigate these cases.

“Once a crypto transaction has been completed, it cannot be reversed. If the investment looks too good to be true, it probably is. If you choose to invest, use a major reputable trading platform or online exchange and do your research to protect yourself,” Cst. Maxwell says, adding that he also recommends individuals to monitor the price of cryptocurrency themselves on a reputable trading program. “We have lots of investment scams, where the scammer says the victim made 20% on their Ethereum investment for example – when they were actually going down 10%. A good way to know if you’re being scammed is to verify through other sources what your investment company tells you.”

The Saskatchewan RCMP works closely with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre to investigate cryptocurrency files.

What is cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency is a digital representation of value that can be digitally traded, or transferred, and can be used for payment or investment purposes. It is protected by a form of encryption, known as cryptography, and relies on public and private keys to transfer value from one person (individual or entity) to another. Cryptocurrency can be used to purchase both legal and illegal goods and services.

More RCMP info on cryptocurrency: https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/gazette/rcmp-training-officers-cryptocurrency?iw

Warning signs of cryptocurrency fraud

Some warning signs of cryptocurrency fraud may include the following:

  • investment opportunities with higher than normal returns
  • unsolicited telephone, email or social media investment offers
  • displays of urgency so you don’t miss out
  • suspicious messages from a trusted source, like a bank or family member, or
  • cryptocurrency investments that are not registered with provincial or national securities regulators
  • contact pages that include an illegitimate address

 What to do if you, or someone you know, fall victim to a fraud

If you, or someone you know, fall victim to a fraud, report it to your local police department.

If you or a family member have been contacted by a scammer, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre — even if you didn’t give them any money (antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/report-signalez-eng.htm or 1-888-495-8501).

If you or a family member did lose money as a result of fraud, please contact your local police as well as the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/report-signalez-eng.htm or 1-888-495-8501).

Incidents in Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdiction from January 16 to 22, 2023

Please note: the statistics below are representative of reports received within the Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdiction. They are from the RCMP records management system and are accurate as the day they are collected. Crime statistics are regularly updated due to changes in reporting procedures, changes in ongoing investigations, etc. As a result, the statistics below may differ from previous or future published reports.

Divisional Operational Communications Centre

(does not include calls for service by the public directly to local RCMP detachments)

Calls for service total 5938
Highest volume of calls for service was on January 21 1084
Reports of Impaired Drivers (RID calls) 53
 
Homicide 0
        Homicides year to date (January, 2022 to last day encompassed in this report) 1
Sexual assaults 23
Sexual crime – other (invitation to sexual touching, sexual interference) 9
 
        Aggravated Assault 7
        Assault 160
        Assault with weapon or causing bodily harm 50
Robbery 6
Firearms (use of in the commission of an offence, discharge with intent, pointing a firearm) 4
Kidnapping/forcible confinement 3
Harassment/uttering threats 97
Other persons offences (domestic or family dispute, criminal negligence causing bodily harm, extortion with firearm, mischief – danger to life, etc.) 19
 
Break and Enter Total 72
Number of break and enters to a business 12
      Number of break and enters to a residence 43
      Number of other break and enters (encompasses sheds, storage containers, unattached garages, etc.) 16
Theft Total 194
        Other theft over $5,000 31
        Theft $5,000 or under 124
        Number of theft of motor vehicle 39
Mischief 443
        Number of mischief – damage to property 83
        Number of mischief – obstruct enjoyment of property (example: unwanted, intoxicated person at a residence) 359
 
Bail violations 168
Breach of probation 20
Failure to appear/comply 37
Disturbing the peace 129
Reports of intimate partner and family violence

  • Time period reported is quarterly.
  • Data represents number of victims, as there may be more than one victim on a specific investigative file. An individual victimized more than once in a timeframe would be counted more than once. Due to common relationships types in intimate and family violence categories, totals should not be combined.
  • Intimate partner refers to violence committed by spouses (legally married, separated, divorced and common-law), current and former dating partner, or someone with whom the victim was in another type of intimate relationship.
  • Family violence refers to violence committed by spouses (legally married, separated, divorced and common-law), parents (biological, step, adoptive and foster), children (biological, step, adopted and foster), siblings (biological, step, half, adopted and foster) and extended family members (grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and in-laws).
 
2022 July  
        Intimate partner violence 421
        Family violence 438
2022 August  
        Intimate partner violence 385
        Family violence 389
2022 September  
        Intimate partner violence 347
        Family violence 361
Total intimate partner violence July-September 2022 1153
Total family violence July-September 2022 1188
Traffic
Impaired-related offences 80
        Number of roadside suspensions 8
Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle 15
Speeding (this does not include automated speed enforcement fines issued) 1103
        Fines issued 661
        Warnings issued (education-focused
interaction between police and public
)
442
Collisions 174
Dangerous driving 3
Fatal collisions (number of road-going incidents, not victims) 1
 
Assistance 272
False alarms 154
Breach of peace 103
911 Act – other activities 216
Suspicious person/vehicle/property 159
Mental health act (generally, police officers responding to reports of persons thinking about suicide, or people with mental illness and requiring assistance): 192
Non-suspicious sudden deaths/Coroner’s Act (Every non-suspicious sudden death police officers respond to including reports of persons who died by suicide, natural, accident or undetermined. Specific breakdowns by cause of death are unavailable.) 18