To the editor:
From Craig's List and through the Internet, I interviewed a potential prospect for tenancy (of a rental property I manage).
After a month and numerous personal e-mails, I received a cheque from this person for one month's rent, a damage deposit, and several months paid rent in advance.
I immediately took it to my bank and deposited into my trust account at the Credit Union, paid the owner one month's rent, the damage deposit, and waited for this person to arrive in 100 Mile House.
After informing this person the cheque had arrived, it started. “Could you please send me some of that money, so I can get a plane ticket to get out of here and get to 100 Mile?”
My gut feeling led me to the Credit Union. Thanks to them, they immediately put a hold on the cheque.
Of course, I kept telling her, "No," as the bank had put a hold on the cheque, and warned me it was a possible "scam."
Then, constantly, night after night, requests came for money from that cheque. I kept refusing, and could not release any funds until I actually had the money credited to my trust account.
We traced the address where it was to be sent, and it was an airport in Africa.
Of course, the request that the money be sent was via Western Union, and would have arrived within hours, had I been stupid enough to send any money.
The Credit Union informed me the cheque was counterfeit, and a really good one, drawn on a TD bank in Calgary. I almost passed out. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
But, I played it to the nth degree. It has been reported to the RCMP and Phone Busters.
Nancye Fenton
100 Mile House