Beware of Facebook scam - it can happen to you!

By Kate Winquist

I want to make everyone aware of a Facebook scam that was posted on Oyen & Area Events this past week and has effected me personally.

Jason Mish (not his real name) had posted several household items as he was being transferred to a new job and needed to downsize before his move.

My husband and I purchased our home in the small village of Brock, Saskatchewan last summer and have 3 lots. We were very interested in the lawnmower that was for sale.

I messaged “Jason” to see if it was still available. He did not reply right away, but did message me back later in the evening saying that it was still available. I asked him the year and hours on the machine and he told me that it was a 2017 with 115 hours. It even had warranty remaining. He had the asking price at $2200, and I offered him $2000 which he accepted.

Robert and I were pretty excited as a new zero-turn mower would cost around $3900 for the same model. I told Robert that it was his birthday present. His birthday is on May 1.

We arranged to pick it up on Friday morning at 301 - 7th Avenue in Oyen.

He gave me the name of his “partner” and her email and I sent the full amount by etransfer.

“Jason” asked if I could send an email confirmation of the payment. I didn’t receive email confirmation, but it was confirmed through my bank account and I sent him the screenshot of that - thankfully with the rest of my information blocked out.

He said that it still hadn’t gone through and that we should give it 12 hours and then his partner would check with her bank.

By Thursday, we were starting to get suspicious. “Jason” had not been replying very quickly to my messages and never answered when I asked if he would still be meeting Robert in Oyen on Friday morning.

Robert did make the trip to Oyen and went to 301 - 7th Avenue, where he was greeted by Ken and Joan Mick, who are selling their house, but they didn’t have a lawnmower for sale! We’d been scammed.

Robert did report the incident to the Oyen RCMP and they are investigating, saying that they had received some other reports.

I have been in contact with my bank’s online security department, but an e-transfer is treated as cash, so I am out $2000 and won’t have a birthday present for my husband. I guess it’s the thought that counts.

Now would be a great time to get a subscription. Afterall, I have a lawnmower to buy.