KAWARTHA LAKES-Members of the Peterborough County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a fraud complaint at approximately 1:00pm Wednesday afternoon. Similar scams have recently been reported in the City of Kawartha Lakes according to police.
The complainant posted a “Snow Blower For Sale” ad on Kijiji. The asking price was $550. The suspect, utilizing a fake telephone number and email address, contacted the complainant and an agreement regarding the sale of the snow blower was reached. The suspect proceeded to email the complainant a cheque for $1300 that was to be printed and deposited. The suspect provided the name of a shipping company and advised the complainant to pay them with the remaining funds to ship the snow blower. The complainant attended a local bank and was advised by a teller that the cheque was fraudulent.
The complainant did not lose any money but wanted to make the public aware of this scam.
Police encourage victims of this type of scam or similar crimes to report the incident. More information on internet safety can be found online by visiting:
• opp.ca
• cybertip.ca
