OPP  Sault OPP news release…
(Sault Ste. Marie, ON) – The Sault Ste. Marie Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is alerting the public to an overpayment scam that has been reported.
In this case a local business was contacted by phone as a result of online advertising.  The “purchaser” wanted to hire the business to conduct some work at their residence. The business owner received a cheque from the “purchaser” in excess of the amount owed.  The business owner was asked to deposit the cheque and wire the excess funds back. The owner took the cheque to a financial institution where it was deemed to be counterfeit.
The business owner did the right thing by verifying the cheque. If you have doubts about a caller, your best defence is to simply hang up. It’s not rude – it’s smart. It’s not always easy to spot a scam, and new ones are invented every day.
For information on scams or to report deceptive telemarketing contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or toll free at 1-888-495-8501. If you believe you may be the victim of fraud or have given personal or financial information unwittingly, contact your local police service.