Altona Police are investigating a number of complaints about a scam that targets people selling goods on the Internet.


Chief Glen Robinson says the fraud seems to involve big ticket items that are being sold, such as used cars or boats.

 

A potential buyer will e-mail the seller indicating that he wishes to purchase the item.

 

The buyer then sends a cheque for more than the cost of the item, instructing the seller to cash the cheque and use the extra money to send to the shipper.

 

Robinson says the fraudulent cheques that have been turned into him are from the Washington Mutual Bank and the Deutsche Bank Trust Company in Germany.

 

He says it would take quite a while for the cheques to clear, allowing the scam artists to make off with the money.

 

Police have received three complaints from Altona Residents about the cheques.

 

Robinson says however, no one has fallen for the scam.