Sault Ste. Marie Police have been hearing about a scam run on online sellers.
The scammer offers far more money than is being asked for, then asks the seller to cash a cheque, take the asking price and pay back the remainder to a designated person.
The cheques are fake, though they do look legitimate.
More information is available in the Sault Ste. Marie Police press release included below.
Recently officers in the Central Support Bureau have learned people selling items online are being targeted for fraudulent activity.
Victims list items online, and a potential buyer will send a cheque for the item, for an amount of money far exceeding the asking price. The potential buyer will request the victim to cash the cheque, keep the appropriate amount of money they were asking for the sale of the item, and request the victim to give the remaining amount of money to a designated person.
The cheque is fraudulent, and the victim loses the total amount of money. All correspondence from the potential buyer appears legitimate, even the cheque looks authentic.
The cheque is fake. Please remember, if something seems too good to be true, it is likely not true.
If you are concerned an interaction may be fraudulent, contact police and a member will assist you with your concerns. For more information on how to protect yourself from fraudulent activity, please visit saultpolice.ca, and/or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.