The Bancroft Detachment of the OPP want to make local residents aware of a scam involving counterfeit bank drafts that has been reported to police.
A Bancroft area resident reported that they had posted property for sale on an online platform. The seller received a phone call from an individual interested in purchasing the item and arrangements were made for it to be picked up. The fraudster was not able to pick the property up and made arrangements through a third party to attend. The fraudster did not provide photo identification prior to purchasing the property. A bank draft was exchanged to make payment at the time the property was picked up by the third party. When the seller deposited the bank draft it was found to be counterfeit.
The Bancroft OPP remind local residents that there are various scams involving a fraudster using counterfeit cheques, money or bank drafts when selling property through online platforms.
Some tips to protect yourself when selling property privately are:
Question a buyer who will not attend and look at the property prior to purchasing it.
Question a buyer who refuses to provide photo identification.
Confirm a bank draft’s authenticity by contacting the issuing financial institution before completing the transaction.
Accompany the buyer to a legitimate financial institution and observe the draft being ordered.
Ensure the draft has cleared and has been confirmed prior to releasing the item to the buyer.
When exchanging property that has been purchased, use the designated Project Safe Trade spaces at the Bancroft OPP detachment or any other OPP detachment that has Project Safe Trade spaces.
For additional information the public can contact:
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or www.antifraudcentre.ca
The Competition Bureau of Canada at 1-800-348-5358 or www.competitionbureau.gc.ca
Project Safe Trade at www.opp.ca
The above is a release from Bancroft OPP
