Sault Ste. Marie’s police remind people that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Sault Ste. Marie’s police have heard of a scam at online vendors.
The scammer offers much more money than is asked of them, and then asks the seller to cash a check, take the asking price, and return the rest to a designated person.
Checks are fake, even though they look legitimate.
More information available at Sault Ste. Marie’s police press release included below.
Recently, Central Support Office agents have learned that people selling items online are being targeted by fraudulent activities.
Victims list items online and a potential buyer will send a check for the item, for an amount of money well in excess of the asking price. The prospective buyer will ask the victim to make the check, keep the appropriate amount of money he asked for for the sale of the item, and ask the victim to give the remaining amount of money to a designated person.
The check is fraudulent and the victim loses the total amount of money. All correspondence from the potential buyer seems legitimate, even the check seems authentic.
The check is fake. Please remember that if something seems too good to be true, it is likely not to be true.
If you are concerned that an interaction may be fraudulent, please contact the police and a member will assist you with your concerns. For more information on how to protect yourself from fraudulent activities, visit saultpolice.ca and / or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center.