An Ottawa business owner is speaking out after avoiding losing thousands of dollars of losses to an overpayment scam. Kevin Moberg of Signarama Nepean received an order over email from a business said to be in Toronto last month to install decals on six of his vehicles. The man sent him graphics to start printing, but Moberg says red flags started piling up. First, the vehicles were said to be buses, then vans. “He sent me all the information so, right away I checked addresses, which was wrong. It was actually an old subdivision in Toronto. Couldn’t find the company name online,” Moberg said. Moberg wanted to see where it would go so the person sent him a certified cheque. “He sent me a cheque and he said, ‘I apologize, the cheque is about $4,000 too much.’” The man asked Moberg to deposit the cheque then e-transfer him back the difference to an account in Oklahoma — minus $100 for the inconvenience. Police call this an overpayment scam, when scammers contact people or companies by text or email, overpay with a fake cheque and then ask for the difference to be returned. “If it’s more money than what you’re requesting, it’s a red flag, it’s a fraud automatically. I wouldn’t continue with the deal,” said Ottawa Police Service Det. Shaun Wahbeh with the financial crimes unit. Wahbeh says it’s tough to tell the difference between a real and counterfeit cheque until it’s too late. “You go to put that cheque or money order or bank draft in the bank, it clears, but then seven days later, the bank will tell you, ‘oops this was fraudulent and we only picked it up once it passed our clearance section.’ You’re then out the extra money that you’ve given them, and the bank does not repay you.” Moberg never sent any money and says he’s speaking out so others are aware. “This one here looked really legit. If I was not watching what I’m doing, we may have got caught,” he said. “If it looks at all suspicious, stop it, ask a couple questions and then you’re not going to lose money.”
