A Sunshine Coast woman’s initial report to RCMP has led to more victims identified, and the arrest of a 53-year-old man for fraud over $5,000 where he earned the trust of multiple victims online with the promise of romance.
In June 2023, the Sunshine Coast RCMP began investigating a report from a Sunshine Coast woman who told officers she had $110,000 stolen from a man she met online.
“Over the course of several months, Michael Paul Snow gained this woman’s trust and convinced her to participate in a business venture that was later learned to be non-existent,” states Sunshine Coast RCMP.
“This type of offence is commonly referred to as a romance scam.”
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Following the investigation, Sunshine Coast RCMP charged 53-year-old Snow with Fraud over $5,000 and issued a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest.
After the first woman’s report to RCMP, several additional victims were identified.
Last Tuesday, on June 24, 2025, Snow was located in Saskatchewan by Maple Creek RCMP and arrested on the warrant.
Snow was then released to appear in Sechelt Provincial Court on August 13, 2025.
Romance-investment scams are on the rise
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) says its seen an increase in romance-investment scams also known as “pig butchering”.
“In these scams, you are contacted on dating apps or social media by a fraudster who is attempting to develop a relationship with you to gain your trust. After trust is gained, the fraudster will claim that they have been a successful investor in cryptocurrency and can help you also make money and “get rich” and convince you to invest,” states CAFC.
On the Island in 2024, the Comox Valley RCMP warned residents of an increase in sexual extortion, or “sextortion,” scams in the community, particularly targeting men and young boys.
In February 2024, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman Gary O’Brien warned people of an increase in online scams.
“Many people spend the majority of their day online on various platforms. Hackers recognize this and will exploit this,” said O’Brien.
“Unless we are diligent, we are all susceptible to being scammed,” he said.
On the mainland, Richmond RCMP said romance scams and investment schemes were on the rise, after receiving 87 reports of romance crimes in 2023, and 12 reported cases between January and March 2024.
Richmond RCMP spokesman Dennis Hwang said in March 2024 fraudsters look work to gain a victim’s trust, particularly those who are lonely.
“Sometimes people are picked randomly, but other times, they will be analyzing certain profiles of people on dating sites to see if they might be susceptible,” said Hwang, adding that these scammers have been “doing their homework” on potential victims.
Anyone else who may have had fraudulent business encounters with Snow is urged to contact their local police department or Sunshine Coast RCMP at (604) 885-2266 and reference file number 2023-3581.
As of March 31, 2025, the CAFC says $165M has been lost to fraud so far this year, compared to $648M for all of 2024. So far this year, there have been 9,092 victims of fraud, compared to 36,199 in 2024.
To learn more about how to watch for and protect yourself against romance-investment scams, the visit CAFC.
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