Community warned about latest money scam
Police in Newry have advised members of the public who are selling high value items on internet websites of a scam that has been brought to their attention. On two separate occasions, in the South Armagh area, people selling cars on a website were contacted via e-mail from abroad.
The ‘cheque for cash scam’ works by deceiving the victim into sending money. After agreeing the sale, discussing collection and negotiating a price for the item, the scammer will send a cheque for more than the agreed price to the seller, later claiming he has done this in error. The scammer will then ask the seller to send the difference back via a money transfer. The cheque that was originally sent by the scammer will later be refused by the bank leaving the seller out of pocket.
A PSNI spokesperson added, “We would ask anyone selling cars or other high value items to be wary of prospective buyers that contact them solely via e-mail. Although the incidents have been relatively isolated at this time, we are advising members of the public as we feel there is a potential for victims to lose a substantial amount of money in this scam. If anyone has any concerns about this or any other scam they should, in the first instance, report it to their local police station on 0845 600 8000.”
Short URL: https://newrytimes.com/?p=11647