Experienced online seller falls victim to fraud

CALGARY – Police are warning even the most online-savvy buyers and sellers to beware.

Brett Chell considers himself to be somewhat of a ‘Kijiji expert’, buying and selling on the popular classified site frequently.

However, he recently sold a 2007 Cadillac Escalade and asked for a bank draft of $36,500 owed to him.

He went to the bank and assumed the funds were verified when the money was released to him.

“I went to McKenzie Towne TD, took it to the teller and asked it to be verified. She got the manager. It looked to me like the process was being done. They put it in my account and the funds were released.”

Eight days later, after purchasing a new vehicle, he discovered he was the target of fraud and the bank had reversed the transaction.

He now owes the bank the money and all his accounts have been frozen.

“I know how to deal on there, I know not to take personal cheques, I know to have them authenticated,” says Chell.

“Everything happened the way it happened it it just happens I’m left holding the bag at the end of it.”

Police say it’s a common scam often led by organized crime.

Investigators believe the person who stole Chell’s vehicle may be responsible for at least one other case.

“They are very good, they can get passed through the bank until the funds are checked, that’s the only way to unfortunately determine it was a bonafied document, it can fool bank tellers,” says Sgt. Ralph Stotschek.

TD Bank has refused to comment on what will happen with Chell’s situation but the bank has told Chell they aren’t going to reimburse him for the funds.

Sgt. Stotschek says online buyers and sellers need to be overly careful when dealing with large amounts of money.

“If we are dealing with large sums like a bank draft, my suggestion would be you accompany that individual to that institution where the bank draft was initiated to go through and make sure there are funds available to make that transaction legit.”