The Saskatoon Police Service is raising awareness about a Buy & Sell phishing scam currently happening in the city. Residents who have ads listed on Busy & Sell websites are being contacted by fraudsters who claim to be from out of town, or they aren’t able to meet the seller, and they want to instead put a deposit on the item through e-transfer.

The fraudster sends a link for a fake e-transfer that prompts the seller into inputting their financial details to receive the money, but it’s all a scam. The fraudster then copies the seller’s account information and withdraws funds.

The advice from the Police Service is to always be cautious when receiving e-transfers from someone you don’t know. Always verify web addresses before clicking on links, and consider setting up two-factor authentication to protect your accounts.

For those looking for a safe place to do your legal transactions, there is a Buy & Sell Exchange Zone in the west visitor parking lot at the SPS headquarters.