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Crime Prevention Tip from Cst. Longly, VPD Business Liaison

Here is a special note from Cst. Longley, Vancouver Police Department.
Visit Vancouver Police website for more information about Business Liaison.

Visit our "Issues and Concerns" "Crime Prevention Tips" Sections for more information.

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Too good to be true? Don't get taken in...

Constable Anne Longley, Business Liaison
Vancouver Police Department

"I am Mr. Patrick K. W. Chan Executive Director & Chief financial Officer of Hang Seng Bank Ltd, Hong Kong. I have a lucrative business proposal of mutual interest to share with you; it involves the transfer of a large sum of money. I got your reference in my search for someone who suits my proposed business relationship. If you are interested in working with me contact me through my private email for further details."

I'm sure most of you have received emails like the one above and realized that it is a scam, but there are many people who are taken in by Internet and email scams. There are hundreds of variations on these scams, and not all of them are as obvious as the one above. The police continue to receive reports of people who have been duped into deals and have become the victim of a scam.

The best thing is to be informed and learn to recognize what might be a scam. As with any business deal, it is the responsibility of the purchaser or seller to use common sense and do their research prior to completing a transaction.

Many scams involve buying, selling or renting a product and will include one or more of the following:

> An inquiry from someone saying they are from overseas or have gone out of the country and have a convincing story to go along with their inquiry
> Someone wanting to use a money wiring service, shipping service or some sort of "guarantee" to buy the product
> A refusal to meet in person, or saying they don't need to see what you're selling before they offer you money
> Overpayment for your service or product and then advising you to take what you require and send them the residual
> A person not authorized to sell or rent the property they're advertising

Remember to remain cautious as you don't know who you are dealing with over the Internet. Be informed, and if you suspect the ad or email is a scam, report it to the site that it's posted on. Most of all, trust your gut feelings, and if the person is deceptive or can't answer your questions, discontinue contact with them.

Most Internet classified sites post warnings and advice on how to avoid scams, or you can go to the following sites for more information:

Better Business Bureau of BC -http://mbc.bbb.org/

PhoneBusters - www.phonebusters.com


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