Kelowna RCMP is warning of a marketplace scam that could potentially drain your bank account.
Police say it has taken advantage of several people in the Okanagan.
In these incidents, the victim has been the seller. A potential buyer offers to pay full price for items and e-transfers the money, telling the seller to check their email for a notification. A link in the email takes the victim to a legitimate-looking bank webpage.
After the seller enters bank information and a phone number for a verification code via text message, the scammers can access the victim’s bank account once the code is activated.
“This is an extremely sophisticated scam that is a variation of the one-time passcode scam,” Sgt. Laura Pollock, Kelowna RCMP said. “We encourage you to make your marketplace exchanges in public locations with security cameras.”
If you are the victim of a fraud or scam please call the Kelowna RCMP to report it at 250-762-3300.
