Series of lewd phone calls targets women at Victoria businesses

Police say female employees at businesses in Victoria are being targeted by a series of unwanted, sexually explicit phone calls.

Victoria police and the Downtown Victoria Business Association are warning the local business community and are asking people who receive the calls to report them to police.

The DVBA's executive director, Jeff Bray, says after his organization sent out a notice, businesses began responding with reports of their employees receiving the calls.

Bray says the calls seem to come late in the day.

"A male voice would say 'what time do you close?' I think that was the opening line."

He says if a female employee answered, the caller would start making lewd comments.

"But also made references to their physical appearance, which added to the anxiety that employees were feeling, because is this person across the street?"

Bray says he is happy with the swift response from police.

"It was just obviously something no employee, male or female, should have to endure at work."

Police say they have now received over 50 reports of women receiving the harassing calls.

They believe the same man may be responsible for all the calls that have been reported. Police are asking anyone who receives one to record it, if it is possible and safe for them to do so. They also want victims to take down as many details as they can, then report them to police.

Victoria police detectives are working with RCMP and say similar calls have been reported across the province.

This is not the first time this year police have dealt with this type of incident.

Last month, a Qualicum Beach man was charged in connection with another series of indecent phone calls to women, primarily on the Lower Mainland.

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