Raytown police warn of increased reports of sophisticated online scam

Authorities report an increase in an online scam that is bilking people out of money.

Raytown police warned of the scam Thursday. It involves exchanges made over sites like Craigslist and other online trading sites.

Scammers will agree to buy an item and send a check for more than the agreed upon price. They will then ask victims to cash the check and send the extra cash back to them.

However, just because a check has been cashed doesn’t mean it can’t later bounce.

“Police wish to remind the public that a check, once cashed, can take several days to clear,” Raytown police said in a release. “In most cases reported, the checks bounced and the victim was left without funds for the products sold.”

The department further warned the public to conduct person-to-person transactions at police departments or in well-lit, public areas and to never accept checks from strangers.

This story was originally published July 21, 2017 at 9:23 AM with the headline "Raytown police warn of increased reports of sophisticated online scam."