A Winnipeg family is warning drivers about a man they believe posed as a mechanic.
The scheme targeted an elderly woman while she was driving a week ago in the area of McPhillips Street and Inkster Boulevard.
Thelma Kraychuk, 86, said it started when a man in the lane beside her rolled down his window, waving his arms.
"He said my tire was loose and wobbly and he said pull over," said Kraychuk, who was near home at the time and pulled over in her back lane.
"And he pulled in behind me and said ‘oh your tire is really bad,’ and he started talking real fast," she said.
The man told Kraychuk he had the right part to repair the tire, knew how to do the job, and could take care of it all for $44.95.
Kraychuk went in the house to call her daughter to come over, and within minutes the man said he repaired the tire and wanted money.
After talking, it was agreed they would get back in touch with him to pay, in case everything that transpired wasn’t legitimate. Then, the man left.
Scheme seen before in United States: Kraychuk family
Since the incident, the pair has been doing some research. They say they traced the man's phone number to online ads looking for car parts, and found media reports out of Houston, Texas detailing a similar story, in some case, trying to get the person to an atm.
"It's almost as if he took a script from something that was happening in the States and thought well, [let’s] see what happens here," said Kraychuk’s daughter, Dawn.
The Kraychuks don’t think the man made any repairs and brought the car to a garage to make sure it was safe.
They’re warning others to keep their guard up, and if necessary, pull over in a public place.
"I wouldn't want him to hurt anybody. I kept saying over and over I don't have any money,” Kraychuk said.
The family called Winnipeg police to make a report.
The man hasn't returned to Kraychuk's home since the encounter.
Winnipeg police aren't aware of any other instances of the scheme happening in the city.
