More Scam Artists

(Huron County, ON) Selling items can sometimes be tricky business. Several reports have been brought to the Huron OPP of a similar type of scam resulting from someone selling an item through the internet.

In the reports received by the OPP, the seller has advertised an item for sale on the internet. The “buyer” then agrees to the purchase price and sends a cheque to pay for the item. When the cheque arrives, the amount paid is significantly higher than the agreed upon price. The buyer asks the seller to send back the difference between the price and the cheque amount. With the cheque in hand, the seller sends money to the buyer and then finds out that the payment he/she received was fraudulent. Oftentimes the buyer is in a different country altogether and the addresses provided are just used to commit the fraud. If the seller sends money, it is virtually impossible to track and retrieve.

When selling items, if payment is agreed upon and a cheque arrives for a higher amount, do NOT send any money and consider the transaction null and void. For further information on these and other types of scams, please check out the Phonebusters website as they are the central reporting agency for all types of scams. Their website is www.phonebusters.com . RM09117184

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