Central Hastings OPP warns of mystery shopper scam in the area

By Jaykob Storey

BELLEVILLE — The Central Hastings OPP is warning people of a mystery shopper scam in the area.

Such cons involve the scammers contacting their would-be victims with a list of items to purchase at various retailers, along with a fraudulent cheque. The cheque is to be deposited and used to pay for the listed items. The scammers ask that a small portion be sent back to them through a money wire company which, they say, they’re also testing out. Inevitably, the cheque will be returned as fraudulent and the victim is left on the hook to cover it.

The OPP released the following list of of procedures to follow to ensure your own financial safety.

• Be mindful where you post your resume; scammers use legitimate websites to seek out victims.
• A legitimate employer will never send funds and request a portion of it back.
• Do your research.  A simple search on the internet can save you thousands of dollars.
• If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

The OPP recommends that if you are contacted by a scam artist, alert them at their anti-fraud website.