Online marketplaces rife with scammers

Manitoulin Ontario Provincial Police say there has been an increase in the number of fraud complaints. (File photo)

During Fraud Prevention Month, police are warning online buyers to be wary of scams.

The Grey Bruce Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said it has received many calls from individuals who try to buy an item on a site like Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji.

The buyer sends an e-transfer to hold the item. But when the buyer arrives at the address to pick it up, the homeowner advises them they were never selling the item or there is no residence at the address given.

The buyer then goes back onto their messages to send another message to the seller and finds out the seller has deleted their profile or blocked the buyer.

To protect yourself, police suggest:

• Ask to see the item ahead of time if possible and before any money is transferred.
• Ensure you have the item in hand before sending any money.
• Be wary if the price is too good to be true. For example, a $1,500 item is being sold for $500.
• Before sending any money, research the profile; where does this person reside? Are there other posts on their profile? Can you see their friends? Does it appear the profile was just created?
• Some sites let you see how long they have been a member. Ensure they did not just become a member.

In many cases, once the money is paid out it is extremely hard to get back if at all.

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In some cases, scammers are very sophisticated criminals and often there is no recourse to recover lost funds.

Police say the best thing people can do is to protect themselves from becoming victims in the first place.

If you or someone you know may have been the victim of an e-transfer for a purchase fraud, contact your local police service or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-(TIPS) 8477.