Fraudsters are targeting people to list items on their behalf on popular online auction sites. The scam involves a job offer to sell desirable items at below market value and receive money from any potential buyers. The ‘work from home’ job will usually require retaining 10% of the money received as a “salary” and fraudsters will ask that the remaining funds are sent to them via bank transfer or money transfer.
In these cases the proposed items being sold do not exist and are therefore not dispatched to the proposed buyers. This will usually result in the buyer making a complaint concerning the individual who has listed the items. This can result in your bank account being closed by the bank for suspected fraud or money laundering and being held accountable for reimbursing the potential buyers.
Protect yourself:
- Do not list items on online auction sites on behalf of others you do not know or trust.
- Be vigilant of ‘work from home’ jobs which involve passing funds through your bank account.
- Meet face to face with any potential employer
- Question job offers which seem “too good to be true”.
If you believe you have become the victim of a fraud or cyber crime, or have received a suspicious email, find out how to report it here: