Police issue scam warning

Nelson Police are advising the public of a e-transfer scam making its rounds after a member of the public reported that she had been defrauded.

Police said that on Oct. 17 the woman attended the detachment.

"The woman had been selling an item on Facebook Marketplace and was contacted by someone who agreed to pay a deposit for it," Nelson Police said in a media release.

"He sent her what appeared to be an E-transfer for $50."

Nelson Police said the woman clicked on the link before entering banking information.

"Shortly after, she was notified by her bank that $2,000 had been taken from her account via E-transfer," Nelson Police said.

Nelson Police advised the victim to contact her bank, who was able to close account and get reimbursed the money that was stolen.

Officers queried the name of the individual who contacted the victim on Facebook but it appeared to be a pseudonym.

Nelson Police said that these frauds are common and predatory web pages can look almost identical to legitimate ones.

"Setting up Auto-deposit for E-transfers to your account is a way to safeguard against having to enter
banking details to accept money," police said.

Other ways to avoid fraud:

• It is also best to avoid sending or receiving money from someone you have not met in person.
• If you are unsure about the legitimacy of a transaction, do not go through with it.
• If you have been defrauded, contact police and your bank as soon as possible.