Coquitlam RCMP are warning people to be careful of job offers through social networking accounts after a man who banks in Coquitlam was bilked of a large sum of cash.
"This is the first time we've seen this kind of scam," said Coquitlam RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Jamie Chung.
The scam started when the victim was offered a job as a regional regional collection agent for past-due accounts.
As part of his job, the victim started to receive cheques for past-due payments from a company in the Toronto area. He deposited the cheques to his own company's bank account and then wired the money to the 'employer's bank account oversees.
But not long after the money transfers began, the victim was told by his Coquitlam bank that the cheques he'd been depositing were fraudulent.
RCMP are not specifying the sum but it was a "substantial amount" of money, according to the press release.
Cpl. Chung is advising professionals to be wary of job offers through online networks.
"What happened to our victim was very unfortunate and he did the right thing by reporting it to the police to investigate and so others are aware of this type of scam," said Corporal Jamie Chung. "The fact is this could happen to anyone. That said, there are ways to prevent yourself from being victimized, and we urge people to do extra research online before accepting any online employment offers."
Anyone with concerns about fraud are asked to contact the RCMP or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
