New 'money mule' scam in B.C.'s Lower Mainland prompts warning from RCMP
B.C. Mounties are warning the public of a new scam in the Lower Mainland after a local company unwittingly became a so-called money mule for a fraudster.
Coquitlam RCMP issued a statement about the scheme Tuesday, saying a local home-improvement company was targeted. According to police, the company was contacted by an alleged fraudster who asked it to complete some home improvements before their possession date on a home.
At first, the company asked for a deposit for the work, which police said the fraudster sent. Police said the fraudster then asked the company to help with moving and storage needs, transferring extra money to the local company to be paid to other service companies.
While the local company conducted those transactions, it became suspicious of the services' legitimacy and reported the interaction to police. After conducting internet searches, it was determined the services were fake.
"The business owner did the right thing when he contacted the police to report the suspicious transactions," said Cpl. Alexa Hodgins in a news release.
"With the increase in fraud reports in Canada, it is important that Canadians remain diligent, know what scams looks like, how to protect themselves and to always report them."
Mounties said a money mule is someone who's recruited – either wittingly or unwittingly – to transfer illegally acquired money. Police said it's important to never forward money on behalf of an unknown person or company. It's also a good idea to do an internet search on the company or person they're requesting money be sent to.
In this instance, Mounties said, the local company didn't lose any money by completing the transactions on behalf of the fraudster.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.