Saskatoon Police warn public about buy-and-sell phishing scam

The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) Economic Crime Section is warning the public about a handful of scams occurring in Saskatoon.

It targets people through buy-and-sell websites.

According to the SPS, people with ads listed on buy-and-sell websites are being contacted by scammers who claim to be from out of town or unable to meet in person and want to provide a deposit for the item via e-transfer.

The scammer then sends the seller a link for a fake e-transfer that asks the seller for their financial info to get the transfer.

This is a scam. The scammer will then take the seller’s account info and withdraw funds.

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Police are reminding people to be cautious when receiving e-transfers from strangers.

It said to always verify web addresses before clicking on links and consider setting up two-factor authentication to protect yourself.

The SPS has a designated buy-and-sell exchange zone at its headquarters for people needing to conduct legal property transactions from online sales.