The Latest on California goldmine scam in California article Gold miners in California are scrambling to recover from the latest round of thefts at their mine, but the criminals aren’t even the worst of it.
They’re the goldminers themselves, which is a bit of a relief for many.
But not everyone is happy with the new goldmine-based scam.
A lot of people are still getting paid.
That’s because the fraudsters don’t even want the money, the California Gold Mining Association said in a news release Tuesday.
The goldmining industry is one of the biggest in the world, with about 7,000 gold mining operations in California.
But the industry is also one of its most vulnerable, and the goldmining community is one that needs all the help it can get, said Kevin Karp, director of the association’s Sacramento office.
The scam started at the Calaveras Gold Mine in Sacramento on Aug. 3, when a group of five thieves broke into the mine and took about $500,000 worth of gold from the underground storage vault, said Chris Glynn, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The thieves broke out a small door and entered the storage vault on Aug 5, using a crowbar and a metal shovel to break into the vault, Glynn said.
The criminals stole $500 million worth of the precious metal, which was mostly in silver, copper and zinc, the department said in its news release.
Gold miners are paid by the ounce of gold they mine, which means if the thieves have a million dollars worth of ore, they’ll pay the equivalent of 2.6 ounces of silver, about $8,300, Glynis said.
But it’s a lot less when it comes to gold.
The theft is believed to be the latest in a series of gold thefts at the goldmine.
On Tuesday, police arrested a man who was captured in the midst of the theft.
It’s not clear if the suspect will face any charges.
The Sacramento Police Department is working with the California State Treasurer’s Office to get the thieves off the property, Gannon said.
