LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County District Attorney's Office has issued a warning to county residents to be on guard when using online sales venues like Craigslist or eBay in the wake of a recently reported scam or con game.

District Attorney Don Anderson said Thursday his office has received a report of a Lake County resident being taken advantage of while attempting to sell an item on Craigslist.

Anderson said the suspect in the case contacted the potential victim and agreed to purchase the item on Craigslist.

The suspect then is alleged to have sent a counterfeit check to the seller for an amount several thousand dollars over the original purchase price, Anderson reported.

The suspect in the case then contacted the alleged victim, told him the check amount was a mistake and that his secretary had mixed up the amounts with another order. Anderson said the suspect then directed the seller to cash the check, keep the amount of the original purchase price and send back the difference.

In order for the scam to work, Anderson said the victim would need to deposit the check into his account, obtain cash and wire the money to the suspect.

A couple of days later the victim would learn the check is counterfeit, but by that time it would be too late and the victim would have been conned out of the money, Anderson explained.

Anderson said, luckily in this case, the alleged victim checked with his bank and learned that the check was counterfeit before cashing it.

This is just one of many types of scams circulating on the market, Anderson said.

He urged anyone who is offered what seems to be an unusually good deal to be extremely careful.

Anderson said it's always wise to check with law enforcement or one's banking institution before engaging in any such transaction.

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