Did you sell something online to a person who gave you a cheque for more than the amount and asked you to refund the balance? This is called the overpayment scam and we have seen it making a reappearance in the Kelowna area recently.
The Overpayment Scam:
The scam in simple: the criminal approaches someone selling an item, often online. They purchase the goods using a cheque but make it out for more than the amount. The excuse is often that they misunderstood the purchase price, or thought that the shipping would be more. They then ask you to send or give them the balance back.
You will not find out that the cheque is a fake until it is deposited and processed by your bank and then you will be out the money and your items.
What are fake cheques?
Fake cheques come in many forms. They can be business or personal cheques, printed to look like legitimate cheques, stolen from a victim of identity fraud, or even a fake money order.
How to avoid this Scam:
What to do if you’re a victim of this fraud: