Conexus Credit Union warns of online marketplace fraud

WATCH: As Wayne Mantyka reports, a rise in scams has prompted a warning from a local credit union.

Online fraudsters are constantly trying news ways to steal people’s money. One of the latest scams involves e-transfer payments on digital marketplaces. The cons have become so prevalent that it’s prompted a warning from Conexus Credit Union.

The scam works by criminals making purchases on online platforms. When the seller accepts the e-transfer payment, it connects to a fraudulent banking site.

“What it asks the seller to do is put their online banking credentials into that site to confirm and accept the e-transfer. Unfortunately, what happens then is it has just given the fraudster the information they need to log into their online banking account to do fraudulent activities,” explained Mark Millham, chief risk and compliance officer at Conexus Credit Union.

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People are talking about the scam on social media - with some residents sharing their experiences of almost accepting e-transfers before becoming suspicious.

The Regina Police Service (RPS) has a five-member team investigating various scams.

“Last one I did was in Dubai so it’s very difficult to get that,” Sgt. Dave Kreiger of RPS’s Financial Crime Unit explained.

“Every now and then we’ll see that there’s some frauds, we had one last week that tried a big scam like this and actually sent somebody to a victim’s house here in the city and we were able to arrest that person and lay the appropriate charges.”

Unfortunately, 2025 is off to a rough start when it comes to online fraud in Regina.

“In Regina alone, just this year, since January 1, we’re looking at about $750,000 in losses to Regina residents and that’s over 130 different frauds. So frauds of all kinds including the online scams and other types of frauds,” Kreiger added.

Anyone can learn about the latest scams by checking online at the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Residents are encouraged to contact their local police service before responding to a suspicious online request.