Post by Scambuster on Nov 17, 2009 14:21:33 GMT -5
In this scam, fraudsters typically target people selling a product through classified ads, online bulletin boards or people
looking for work on employment postings. The scammer sends a cheque for the listed product or service that is more
than the negotiated price. The original cheque is usually stolen or is bogus, and by the time the victim has cashed and
returned the excess funds, the scammer has disappeared with the money and the product.
Another cheque overpayment scheme can be under the guise of working as a mystery shopper. The victim believes
that they will be paid to mystery shop a wire-transfer service. They are sent a cheque, told to deposit it, keep a small
percentage of the money as their wage, wire the rest, and then complete the survey on the service they encounter. The
address turns out to be bogus, the money wire-transferred to another unknown location and the victim is out the money
transferred.
QUICK TIP: Never accept payment for more than your selling price. Never agree to refund the excess to a buyer or
wire-transfer money to another location. A legitimate buyer or employer would never ask you to do so. Consider using
an independent online payment service. Speak to your credit card service provider to determine what avenues it has to
guarantee payment processing.