A common Internet scam has found a new victim, prompting the Richmond RCMP to issue a warning Tuesday.

Man caught by Internet scam

A common Internet scam has found a new victim, prompting the Richmond RCMP to issue a warning Tuesday.

A man approached Richmond RCMP at Vancouver International Airport last Saturday to tell his scam story. Using an Internet dating service, he communicated with someone claiming to be Kelly Gabriel, who also claimed to live in Nigeria.

The scam artist told the man she wanted to come to Vancouver to meet him but needed money for airfare. The man obliged, sending $2,000 US to the woman who told him she’d be arriving on flight #MA0522 from Murtala, Nigeria. But the plane never arrived, as no such flight comes to YVR.

RCMP are warning the public to be wary of information from the Internet, especially if it involves a money transfer. Anyone who receives similar requests are asked to call police.