When Hella Bertrand listed a coat for sale on Facebook Marketplace for $100 in October, she quickly accepted the first offer. The buyer, “Addison,” claimed to be out of town and offered to send an e-transfer, providing an Interac link.
“Initially [the transfer] didn’t go through, even though I gave him my email address,” Bertrand recalled. “He said, ‘Well, I’m having too much trouble. It must be the wrong account.’ That should have been a red flag.”
Frustrated, Bertrand abandoned the sale. The next morning, she awoke to emails from her bank alerting her that $700 had been withdrawn from her account, with an unsuccessful attempt to take an additional $2,200. Checking her Facebook Messenger conversation, she found that the buyer had deleted all of his messages, leaving only hers.
“I was absolutely shocked,” she said. Upon reviewing her bank account, she discovered the hacker had changed the associated email address under her husband’s name.
“The most frightening part is that [the hacker] was able to get in there,” Bertrand said. She quickly deleted the fraudulent email, changed her passwords, and contacted her bank.
Marketplace Scams on the Rise
The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) warns that Facebook Marketplace scams are now the “hot fraud.” Det. Shaun Wahbeh noted that the force receives multiple scam reports daily from both buyers and sellers. The “reverse e-transfer” fraud is a growing trend, tricking victims with a convincing but fake e-transfer link that grants scammers access to their bank accounts.
“It looks and smells exactly like an e-transfer, but it isn’t. It’s a request that gives the suspect access to your bank account,” Wahbeh explained.
Cybersecurity expert Darion Ducharme, who teaches online fraud prevention, admitted he had also fallen victim to a scam. He explained that fraudsters create fake bank login pages that deceive victims into entering their credentials, allowing scammers to gain control over their accounts.
“They go into our accounts, reset passwords, clear out funds, and steal personal information,” Ducharme warned. Hackers often use stolen identities to commit further fraud.
Reporting Fraud is Crucial
Wahbeh urges fraud victims to report incidents to both the police and their banks.
“We’re only as good as what you give us and what your bank gives us. If we don’t get intelligence from the bank, we will never be able to trace your money,” he said. Many of the fraudsters operate from overseas, making law enforcement efforts more challenging.
Fortunately, Bertrand’s bank refunded her stolen money after she reported the fraud. However, she remains wary of using Facebook Marketplace again. She shared her experience in a neighborhood Facebook group, receiving messages of support and advice.
“You know, once bitten, twice shy,” she laughed. “But it was a good lesson.”
Source: Swifteradio.com
