Less than a week after reporting an off-shore Internet scam surfacing in Cranbrook, local RCMP are reporting another of a similar nature that succeeded in bilking a local resident.

On March 10, Cranbrook RCMP received a complaint that an unknown male professing to be from the United Kingdom called a local person and made arrangements to rent a basement suite.

The U.K. scammer sent a cheque for $4,800 by Western Union to the local resident and then contacted him advising that he had sent too much money and instructed him to cash the cheque and take the $700 rent money and send him back the difference of $4,100 by wire transfer again through Western Union.

The local resident, who was renting the suite, deposited the $4,800 cheque and sent back $4,100without waiting for the original cheque to clear the bank. When the bank notified the rental person that the original cheque was bounced it was too late and the renter was defrauded of $4,100 by an unknown person from another country.

Cranbrook RCMP would like to warn the public of the ever-increasing amount of money scams on the Internet as well as by mail and phone. Police advise to always make yourself fully aware of whom you’re sending money to. Never send money to someone you don’t know and never give out private information over the telephone or by email or postal mail.

When private business transactions are being made, police advise to always wait for any cheque to clear the bank before sending money or allowing property to change hands.