The fraud works so that the fraudster (A) first contacts a person (B) who wants to sell something (for example a Playstation 3) online. He says he wants to buy the game console and gets an account number where he should deposit the money.
At the same time, the fraudster has a fake ad for another item at an attractive price (for example, a digital camera). A third person (C) is enticed to buy the camera at the bargain price of SEK 6,000. The fraudster A then gives him the account number that he received from person B, i.e. the seller of the Playstation 3 console.
The unsuspecting person C deposits SEK 6,000 into person B’s account. Then the fraudster calls B and says that he accidentally deposited too much money for the game console. He asks to come pick up the game console and get the excess amount back in cash. Seller B agrees to this.
The result is that the fraudster disappears with the loot. Person B gets rid of his game console, is accused of fraud and is required to pay the 6,000 kroner that person C paid for the camera, which of course he never received. Both B and C are innocent but have been hurt.
– We have identified a suspect and hope to tie more cases to him, says Jan Olsson of the city police’s fraud coordination to Metro.