Ottawa daycare provider defrauded in 'overpayment scam'

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CTV Ottawa
Published Friday, June 12, 2015 5:29PM EDT
Last Updated Friday, June 12, 2015 6:56PM EDT

Carmen Coll was looking to make some extra money over the summer, and recently posted an ad on Kijiji offering her daycare services.
A man, sent her a few emails, even photos of him with his son, and told a story of being a single father to the boy.
The man claimed to be away on vacation in Mexico, but wanted to send Coll some cash to secure the daycare spot. A week later a cheque arrived in the mail.

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Carmen Coll was defrauded after recently posting an ad on Kijiji offering her daycare services.

The cheque was for much more than Coll's fees. A mistake, he explained, could she wire him the difference.
After sending the money back through Western Union, Coll learned his cheque had been a counterfeit.
“We went on-line to check our accounts and it’s all negative,” says Coll. “I couldn't use my card, our account is frozen and they won't unfreeze it until we pay the money back.”
Sgt. Jamie Ritchie, with the Ottawa Police Fraud Section, says to avoid becoming a victim of an overpayment scam, “Don't send money to someone when you don't know who it is at the other end.”
Ottawa Police say overpayment scams are so common they get cases reported daily.

I've wanted to create this blog for a while, ever since my college instructor asked me to help with his a while back.  He is a certified fraud examiner (CFE) so I was always forwarding him articles that I had found.  I could never figure out how we could both update his blog, so I figure now is the time to start posting about fraud on my own, because he's been sick for a while and hasn't been posting.  These are just items from the local news.  When you pay attention, it is a real eye opener how often these crimes occur.

Fake monks seeking donations in downtown Ottawa are a 'fraud'

Accepting money outside of temple defies Buddhism, experts say

CBC News Posted: Jun 25, 2015 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Jun 25, 2015 7:20 AM ET

A Buddhist in Ottawa says men dressed as Buddhist monks are fraudulently accepting money from people downtown.
Taking money on the streets is not part of the Buddhist religion, Andre Vellino, a practising Buddhist who teaches meditation at the University of Ottawa, said about the men, seen at bus stops and along the streets, and dressed in brown robes with shaved heads.

• Fake monks focus of police crackdown near Union Station

"It's as easy a fraud as you can to detect," said Vellino.
"If you give them money and they accept, then they are not monks."
CBC News spotted one of these robed men accepting money in exchange for a trinket at a bus stop at Slater and O'Connor streets. The woman who gave the man money said he did not speak during the exchange.

The man dressed in a brown robe accepted money from the woman dressed in black in downtown Ottawa. The woman said the man did not speak during the exchange. (CBC)

Ottawa police have not received any complaints about the men as it is not illegal unless they become aggressive.
Earlier this month, Toronto police vowed to crack down on the practice after they received complaints about similar men on Front Street near Union Station who were aggressive.
Hot-dog vendor Terry Scanlon said he has seen the men with notebooks, and some people have told Scanlon the men have accepted up to $20.
Buddhists have told CBC News that real monks only accept donations inside the temple.