A con man posing as an Italian fashion designer down on his luck has struck St. Albert.
The man approached people in various parking lots across the city on Oct. 3 and 4 and swindled large sums of cash.
The man, with tanned skin and an Italian accent, stays in his black Nissan S.U.V. and asks for directions to the airport. He says that he is a fashion designer who needs money to get home to Italy and he cannot take all his clothing samples home with him.
He provides documents that support his story and offers gifts of leather jackets and suits as a thank you for loaning money.
The man is in his mid-30s with a slight-to-average build. He is five-feet, eight or nine inches and has short black hair and a receding hairline. He wears his beard short but scruffy. He was seen wearing a silver chronograph watch.
The police say this “fake leather jacket” scam has been around for years, but this man is well rehearsed and very convincing. He has targeted many age groups but is primarily focusing on seniors.
The police want to remind the public about the importance of safe driving after a rash of car accidents last weekend.
Between Friday, Sept. 30 and Monday, Oct. 3 the RCMP responded to 16 collisions in the city. Half of the incidents happened in parking lots.
The RCMP are reminding residents to focus their full attention on driving for the entire duration of the trip. Police say that reversing out of parking stalls can be tricky and taking time to have a second look before proceeding can save an expensive repair bill or injury.
