Work Scam On Kijiji

(MUNICIPALITY OF NORTH PERTH, ON) – On Thursday March 05, 2015, a Listowel resident attended at the Perth County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Detachment in Listowel to report a questionable employment opportunity.

The resident was looking for work on Kijiji. He observed an add stating “need work contact me”. The resident made contact and was advised that this was a job picking up mail and receiving parcels, which would pay him $500 a week. The resident was required to provide his address. Shortly thereafter a courier service dropped off an envelope with a letter and a legitimate looking cheque from an Indianapolis company for $3,850. The contact person kept e-mailing the resident and the next step would be to for the resident to keep $500 and return the remaining amount to an address provided, via a money transfer service.

The OPP officer confirmed the resident’s suspicions that this was a scam. A call to the company in Indianapolis revealed that their accounts had been hacked a few months ago and they had received many calls from police agencies.

The Listowel resident was not out any money, and was wise enough to recognize that something was amiss. This is another good reminder that there are no shortcuts to wealth or dream jobs – the only people that make money are scammers.

Many fraudulent incidents over the internet and Kijiji involve the “Overpayment Cheque Scam”. This scam can involve numerous variations but usually has someone placing an item for sale on the internet. A prospective buyer contacts the seller and makes an offer to purchase the item for an agreed upon amount. A cheque is sent for more than this amount. When the seller contacts the buyer to inform them of the error, the seller is told to cash the cheque and return the overpayment. When the cheque is processed at a financial institution it is found to be fraudulent. It may be several days before the seller is made aware that the fraud has occurred. Now the seller is out the amount of the cheque.

This scam can be utilized by fraudsters, for employment opportunities, rental properties, simple on-line purchases, and may involve many other variations.

There is no legitimate reason for someone who is sending you money to ask you to wire money back to them. If someone wants to pay for something, ask for a cashier’s cheque for the exact amount, preferably from a financial institution that has a branch in your area.

Remember; don’t make any decision without carefully researching the offer. Seek independent advice before making a decision.

Visit www.antifraudcentre.ca to learn more about fraud.

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