North Vancouver RCMP issue warning about Craigslist scam
Posted on Sunday, September 5, 2010 by
North Vancouver RCMP are warning the public about two more Craigslist scams, after one local landlord was recently bilked out of almost $6,000.
Both scams involve the fraudsters getting unwitting victims to send them money over a wire transfer service.
In one case, a local landlord was contacted by a man posing as an overseas doctor who was moving to Canada and needed an apartment to rent. The fictitious doctor wired a check through Western Union to rent the suite for a year, said Cpl. Peter DeVries, spokesman for the local detachment. Once the check cleared the landlord’s bank, which typically takes anywhere from three to seven business days, the doctor claimed a family emergency, and said he needed to back out of the deal. He requested the landlord send most of the money back, which the landlord did.
A short time later, however, his bank told the landlord that the cheque was fraudulent, said DeVries. Confirmation of that can take the bank up to 21 days. Since the landlord had deposited the fraudulent check, he was left responsible for repayment of the loss. (more…)