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Cheque fraud common: police TeCnadian Champion, Friday, July 25, 2008 - All - fromn WOMAN on page AI1 sas t1ng ht watîtcl tut hed antI th'at he woctid senti a monts order bs counier. At tht tnd of May, Shaxon rtctis'td a money ordtr frr $2,500 along with a letter %wtth somte vtty detaird instruictions. "Tht money order looked s'try real, however, as you tan set by tht tter, something was not night," site said. Tht letter asktd Shaxon to cash tht money order and deduet her $550. She was then asked te, transfer tht extra money via Western Unton 10 a "thîrd-party shipper" who wottld have tht bed pieked up and delivered. In renamn, he said, he intlud- td an extra $50 for hec trouble. "Tht fatt that 1 was beîng asked to stnd money via Westemn Union and so on was raîber odd," Shaxon saîd, adding, "Tbis was not distusstd in prtvious r mails so 1 was rather confustd." Shaxon cailed tht Bank of Montreai tht bank tht money order was from - anti was toid it was fraudulent and te, calu polite. i[lad tht fraud heem success- fuI, Shaxon woîîid have Irans- ferred tht money to tht shipper. who was actually tht buytr. Sht wouidn't- have known yeî that tht money order was fraudulent and wouldn't go îhrough. And she wouid've bren oui rIll r, 's J, rIs, 0Arr r\O ik l ahsorh the loss. Dct. Const. Colin Gnierson, with Halton Regional Polices regional fraud unit, said theres flot much police can do t0 catch such cuiprits. This type of chtquelmoney order ovtrpayment fraud is common on the internet, he said, since it offers anonymity. The fraud unit receives a number of complainîs each week of ,internet scamns, Gnierson saîd. People who are buyxng or seling over the intemnet need to be very cautions, he said, addrng warng belis should sound if someone sends more money than asked for. Money shouid neyer be paid out until ils confirmed the cheque or money order clears - and that tan take weeks if ils from overseas, Grierson said. Onet hîng people tan do that might alert them 10 a scam. artîst is 10 Google tht e-mail address of tht person he or shes doîng business wiih. Sometimes il comes up in connection with a scam aleri. "Rtstarch ail yott tan about tht person you're dealîng with, Grierson saîd. Ht added fret t-mail address- es - partîccilarly wîîh Yahoo - are mort likely 10 he cîstd by scammers. Unfortunattly, theres flot mUth tht average resîdent can chicqst, 111011s srrdci orr bankl draft, Grierson saîd, since they crin look extrtmtiy rtalitic. Maura Drew-Lytie, spokrsperson wîîh tht Canadian Bankers Assotiation, explined whtn soronr cashrs a fake cheque or monty ordrr, tht bank advantts him, that money Whtn il dotsn't clear, that person then owrs tht bank that money back. If hes already spent it, that money will tomne from his pocket. Grierson rttommtnds ton- ttmtid residents visit www.phonebusters.tom, which is managed by tht OPP and RCMP for mort information on varions stams or 10 report a fraud. Kijiji offers severai uips on ils website to belp proteet ils eus- tomera from sUth frauds. First and foremost, it retommends buyers and sellers meet in-per- son to set tht prodUet and exehange fonds, It says it rtc- ommtnds only lotal transac- tions so this tan bc dont. fI warns to neyer stnd or %vtre money to sellers or buyers, and says it offers no buytr pro- tection should a transattion go wrong. Craîgslist offers simîlar wamn- îngs. Sttphaîîte Hounstil tait bc rttiched ai stltiesstn@-miitontana- diatchampion.tom. This is the programmable thermostat That sets the temperature up a couple degrees When rates are higher during the day Whicb helps save money on your clectricity bill And improves the reliabilîtý,y of ourpower system And decreases our impact on the environment Which is comfortingfor everyone. OWe ail need f0 b. smarter about our electricity use. clnrr uieterý or hure and tho prise you -oy for r-lecirrsry, wvl depend or ruheuy Osp ýt Durinq evenings mid weekends, you wil ho able to roke coduonîrîqe ý-f ' crr l peoK ortes ýhrfrrnq sre of your uise is onother brep ýn rrslFîrg rr, olr sutet rsorroje rîti eecriic'y (,oroLrrupr n And rhor w i bu betrer frr sur oDowu' ýssrsr and the erirrrerrr For more informotron vs rr Mitf lvroîr r5 t mro uironhydro rom tP'_0ntario O ieso ROAD CLOSURE NOTIFICATION