Police offer tips after Craigslist payment scam resurfaces
An upswing in scams and incidents of fraud prompted the Kalispell Police Department to provide tips to people on how to protect themselves.
In particular, the department is warning people about “overpayment” scams on Craigslist, in which a buyer gives an excuse for sending a check for significantly more than the price of the item. The buyer will then ask for the excess money to be returned through a drop point or intermediary.
The check provided by the buyer turns out to be a forgery and the seller is liable.
The police department has provided a list of safety tips, taken from the Craigslist website, for people to avoid being taken in by the scam:
v Deal locally with folks you can meet in person — follow this one rule and avoid 99 percent of scam attempts.
v Never wire money via Western Union, Moneygram or other wire service — anyone who asks you to do so is likely a scammer.
v Fake cashier checks and money orders are common — banks will hold you responsible when the fake is discovered weeks later.
v Craigslist is not involved in any transaction and does not handle payments, provide escrow, buyer protection or seller certification.
v Never give out financial information — bank account number, Social Security number, eBay/PayPal info, etc.
v Avoid deals involving shipping or escrow services and know that only a scammer will “guarantee” your transaction.
Police offer tips after Craigslist payment scam resurfaces
v Do not rent housing or purchase goods sight-unseen — that amazing rental or cheap item may not exist.
Another common scam is the “grandparent scam,” in which a scammer will call a person and pretend to be their grandchild, saying he or she in some kind of trouble and needs money wired immediately. Some targets catch on, and many money-wiring businesses teach their employees to spot the scam and encourage the target not to send the money.
An incident of the grandparent scam was reported to the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office Thursday by a Whitefish Stage Road resident who said she was sure the person who was asking for money to be sent to Mexico was not her grandson.
Lottery scams also are common, targeting people by telling them they have won a (usually international) lottery, but must pay a processing fee or insurance fee in order to receive their winnings. A Kings Way woman reported to the Sheriff’s Office Thursday that she had been receiving such calls.
Still another frequent scam involves offering people fraudulent low-priced vacation packages, such as Caribbean cruises.
Reporter Jesse Davis may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at jdavis@dailyinterlake.com.