A large cheque, made out after a purchase on Kijiji, has turned out to be fraudulent say OPP.
Mattawa OPP responded to the complaint this weekend.
The seller had a pair of speakers up on Kijiji, and a man looking to buy them sent the cheque via UPS. The cheque was made out for $1,500 more than the amount of the item.
When the seller questioned the amount he was told to cash the cheque, and the purchaser would send his daughter to pick up the extra money along with the speakers.
The seller went to his bank, where he was told that the cheque was fraudulent.
"Scammers will attempt to have victims process as many payments as possible before a victim's financial institution warns of the ongoing scam," warns Acting Sergeant Shona Camirand.
Here are some tips to help keep you safe from this type of fraud:
- Ask yourself: Why would someone do this? If your intuition says scam, then it probably is.
- Don't accept a cheque or money order for payment for goods that is more than what you agreed upon.
- Avoid transferring or wiring any refunds or overpayments back to anyone you do not know.
Contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre.ca or 1-888-495-8501 if you have been the victim of a scam.
