The Service de la Ville de Sherbrooke (SPS) says it has seen an increase in fraud reports in recent weeks on the Marketplace resale platform.

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According to the police, one of the schemes used by fraudsters is to request a deposit of a small amount via a bank transfer.

The fraudster then provides an address for the buyer to come and collect the property, but on the spot, the buyer finds that the address does not exist and that he is no longer able to communicate with the seller. .

“Fraudsters also act in the role of the buyer”, however underlined the SPS by press release.

“He contacts the person selling a used item. The suspect mentions that he wants the item delivered by a known delivery company. The seller must take out insurance which will be reimbursed when the delivery person picks up the item. Once the insurance has been paid, it is no longer possible to reach the potential buyer,” it was explained.

The SPS calls on citizens to be cautious when it comes to making transactions, whether as a buyer or a seller.

The police recommend in particular to check that the address of the seller exists, and ideally, never to make a bank transfer before having seen the product.

In a seller role, it is advisable not to accept an intermediary to complete the sale and not to pay any costs related to a sale.