For Immediate Release -- Friday, November 3, 2006
The United Church of Canada Issues a Consumer Al ert
Toronto: People who are selling vehicles, part icularly on the Internet, should be aware of a fraud scheme that suggests The United Church of Canada wi ll sponsor the purchase of the vehicle as a thank-you gift for someone who has faithfully served the chur ch for many years.
The scheme works this way. A seller has advertised a vehicle for sale. The sell er receives an e-mail from an individual who claims to be acting on behalf of a relative who wishes to buy the vehicle. The e-mail says that the transacti on is being sponsored by United Church of Canada com mittee members, who want to purchase the vehicle in com memoration of this relative's "good evangelical life in the church (ministry)."
The seller is asked to forward payment particulars, so that the church can issue a cheque in the seller's name. That cheque, ac cording to the e-mail, will include an additional sum of money-ranging from $3,300 to $7,500-to cover shipp ing and tax charges. Once the seller receives payment for the vehicle, the seller is asked to use the su rplus funds to cover these additional costs by sending a cheque to the agent who will handle shipment of the vehicle to Canada.
Of course the shipper never turns up to take the vehicle, and the seller
soon discovers that the cheque he or she cashed as payment for the sale of the vehicle was counterfeit . The seller then may be charged with a crime.
As of November 2, 2006, the General Council Office of The United Church of Canada is aware of six individuals who were contacted by this fraud artist. A ll are residents of the United States, and none actuall y sold their vehicle to him. We suspect, however, th at there may be many more potential victims. Thus, w e are issuing this consumer alert.
If you suspec t you have been victimized in such a fraud scheme you should report it. Phonebusters (www.phonebusters.com) is a national anti-fraud call centre jointly operated by the Ontario Provincial Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The original mandate of PhoneBusters was to prosecute key individuals in Ontario and Quebec
involved in telemarketing fraud under the Criminal Code of Canada. Its mandate now also includes facilitating prosecution by United States agencies through extraditi on, and by the Competition Bureau under the Competitio n Act. Phonebusters' toll-free phone number is 1-888-495-85 01.
For further information, please contact:
Mary-Frances Denis Communications Officer The Un ited Church of Canada 416-231-7680 ext. 2016 (office)
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