Police Warn of Internet Scam Involving Craigslist

Big Island police are warning the public about an internet scam involving a Craiglist posting.

A Big Island resident who responded to the posting seeking nanny services received a check in the mail. Accompanying it was instructions to cash the check and send some of the money via Western Union to an address in Russia.

The victim later discovered that the check was counterfeit.

Police said this is variation of a common scam, in which someone receives a “prize” or a check and is asked to wire a lesser amount back.

Police caution the public to always verify that a transaction is legitimate before sending money to someone they don’t know.