Since Nov. 1, 2024, the EPS has received four reports regarding an e-transfer scam related to purchases made on online buy and sell platforms such as Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace. In each incident, the purchaser sends the complainant an e-mail that resembles a legitimate e-transfer. When the complainant clicks the link to deposit the funds, they are directed to a fraudulent website that looks similar to that of their bank. When they enter their username and password, the information is sent to the suspects, who then gain access to their online banking. In total, more than $6,700 has been lost to this scam to date this month.
“As e-transfers become a more common way to pay for purchases made through online buy and sell platforms, scammers are becoming increasingly creative with their tactics to gain access to your money and personal information,” says Det. Linda Herczeg with the EPS Financial Crimes Section. “Thankfully, there are some simple steps you can take to detect this scam and protect yourself from financial loss.”
When choosing to accept e-transfers as a form of payment, police advise carefully reviewing the e-mails and websites links to determine their legitimacy:
- Interac e-mail money transfers should be received from notify@payments.interac.ca Review this e-mail address carefully and take note of any strange text. If it does not look legitimate do not accept the transfer.
- When redirected to your bank’s website, verify that the website is legitimate by checking the URL. If the URL doesn’t look right or contains strange text, do not enter your login information and call your bank to confirm the correct website URL.
If you are unsure about the e-transfer, decline to accept it and instead ask for an in-person cash payment. Alternatively, set up auto-deposit for all e-transfers, which will bypass the need for any banking log in. When you receive an e-transfer via auto-deposit, verify it has been deposited in your account, as suspects will sometimes also send a fake auto-deposit notification. When purchasing items from online buy and sell platforms, also keep the following safety tips in mind:
- Do not meet in a secluded place or invite strangers into your home. Suggest meeting during the day at a public location, ideally with video surveillance, such as one of the EPS Buy and Sell Exchange Zones.
- Have someone come with you when you meet. If you cannot arrange for someone to accompany you, let friends or family know where you are going, what time you are meeting and all the details about who you are meeting, Let your contact know that everything is ok.
- Ask the buyer for photo ID. Take a photo of it for your reference.
- Take screenshots of the buyer's contact information, and all communications.
Anyone who believes they may have lost money or personal information in a similar scam is encouraged to report it to the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.p3tips.com/250.