There's a scam happening in Prince George that targets people looking for work.
The Prince George RCMP issued a notice Friday, Feb. 7 explaining how it works. A person needing a job answers an advertisement, only to have the potential employer send them a cheque and ask the job-seeker to cash it and send some of the money back to the "employer," usually with a fake reason for the transaction.
"The cheques are fraudulent, but this isn’t always caught until after you have already sent the fraudsters the funds," warns Cpl. Jennifer Cooper, media relations officer for the Prince George RCMP. "This means you are out all of that money, which can sometimes be in the thousands of dollars."
Police recommend that people never agree to be a "money mule" by receiving funds into a personal bank account to forward elsewhere, warning that this is a tactic used in money laundering.
Anyone who has been approached or exposed to this or another scam can contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre to make a report.
If you have lost money to a fraudster, report it to local police.
