Victoria Police says a woman’s experience in the financial services sector helped to end a fraud attempt as she tried to sell her vehicle.
Authorities say on Oct. 13, the woman reported she was contacted by a potential buyer after posting her vehicle was up for sale online.
The person went to the seller’s home to test drive the vehicle and when he came back, the woman was told he was in a rush and wanted to buy the car immediately.
The seller was given an envelope with completed transfer papers and the full asking price for her vehicle, with the payment in the form of a bank draft, which the seller reviewed.
Victoria Police says she has worked with bank drafts and quickly saw the document was a photocopied fake.
She returned to her vehicle to find the buyer zap strapping a new license plate to it and after she confronted him, he apologized and cut the plates from the car and fled the area.
Police say the seller was not hurt in the incident.
The “buyer” is described by police as a 40-year-old Caucasian man, slim with a tanned complexion, standing 5’7″ tall.
He has short, black hair, wore glasses and smelled strongly of cigarette smoke.
If you have information about this suspect or have been victimized by him, you’re asked to call Victoria Police at (250) 995-7654 or Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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