East Brunswick Police Warn Residents Of Online Sale Scam

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — The East Brunswick Police Department has asked residents to remain cautious against online sale scams.

This is how it works — A seller advertises an item for sale on Craigslist, Facebook, or other similar classified advertisement portals and they are contacted by a potential buyer who sends them a check or money order(s) totaling more than the sale price.

“The checks or money orders that the scammer sends you are counterfeit,” said police. “They will instruct you to deposit the item(s) and wire a portion of the over-payment to another individual.”

Scammers give sellers a reason for this – sometimes saying it’s an overpayment, or sometimes indicating it was a mistake, said police. If sellers deposit the check and wire the funds, the check may take at least three business days to be returned as counterfeit. And by that time, most unsuspecting sellers have already wired the funds, suffering monetary loss.

“The best way to avoid an overpayment scam is to conduct business face-to-face,” said police. “Although not all transactions completed through the mail are scams, it does increase the possibility that something will go wrong.”

Here are some additional suggestions from the East Brunswick Police Department to avoid getting scammed:

• Don't accept cashier's checks, money orders, or personal checks. Stick to cash transactions or secure payment methods whenever possible.
• Never accept an amount over the price.
• Never send money using wire services to someone you don't know.
• If you're asked to cash a check and then send a refund using a money payment service or gift cards, report the individual to the online marketplace and walk away from the transaction.

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