WATCH ABOVE: It seemed too good to be true – a Nova Scotia man being paid for work he never did. And it turns out, it was. We have a warning tonight about a popular scam going around our area from a man whose quick thinking prevented him from becoming a victim himself. Global’s Natasha Pace reports.
HALIFAX — When Paul Hunter opened his mail this week, he got an unexpected surprise – a cheque for more than $4500.
He was immediately suspicious.”The bells rang and the more I read the more bells rang so I started making calls,” Hunter said.
A letter accompanying the cheque said Hunter was being paid for being a mystery shopper, something he has never done. It asked him to cash the cheque and send the bulk of the money to different accounts. In return, he would get paid $500.
“It looks so official,” Hunter said “It’s just another way to get your attention, and say oh well this came in the mail, it must be legitimate and fall for it. It’s just not right.”
The Bank of Montreal on Main Street in Moncton, New Brunswick is listed on the cheque. Officials at the bank told Hunter the cheque is fraudulent.
Police say the “mystery shopper” scam isn’t new.
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“This type of scam is ongoing and it’s been going on for years now. Since the social media and the internet, it’s even increased to the greater public,” said Det/Cst. Desmond Lambert, with the Halifax Regional Police/RCMP Financial Crime Unit.
“You end up depositing most of that money into your account and then using that money to do your mystery shopping and the rest of that money is supposed to go to another individual or another account.”
The Saint John Police Force in New Brunswick is also warning about the scam.
Hunter said he wants to warn others who may be the next targets of this scam.
“I want to get this out there in case somebody says oh, $500 for just doing this, and then later on they find out they’re on the hook for a lot of money. That’s a lot of money for a senior or somebody on a fixed income or whatever, for anybody.”
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