RCMP investigate new Oak Island mystery

RCMP in Nova Scotia are investigating a new mystery connected to the fabled Oak Island, the possible site of buried treasure on the province's South Shore.

A non-profit organization that runs tours on the island — the Friends of Oak Island Society — has discovered that someone has been selling fake tour tickets, and that's why police have been called in.

Judy Eisner, speaking for the society, told Maritime Noon that it appears someone formerly connected to the group was able to clone the official ticket site.

She said the society only became aware of the problem when it started getting emails from ticket holders they couldn't find in their official records.

Eisner said the society hasn't been able to determine how many fraudulent tickets are in circulation. They are still sorting through emails and are asking anyone who thinks they have a fake ticket to contact the society.

Daniel Igne-Jajalla/CBC
Daniel Igne-Jajalla/CBC

Interest in the island has taken off since the History Channel show The Curse of Oak Island has brought the mystery to a broader audience.

"The popularity of the show has definitely grown our tourist numbers significantly," Eisner said.

She said the society will honour the fraudulent tickets if ticket holders are able to provide proof of how they were purchased.

"It's not just a hit as far as the funds from these fraudulent tickets goes because we haven't seen any of that money but it's also an impact on our reputation as a group of volunteers that are in this for the good of … our whole community on the South Shore," Eisner said.

RCMP have confirmed they are investigating but are unable to provide any details.

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