A student recently reported a variation of a cheque overpayment scam involving an advertisement seeking a tutor for a high school student. This tutor scam began with an innocent-looking email to the department, which was forwarded to interested students.
When the student emailed the supposed parent, the response seemed fairly believable but already contained signs of the typical scam. The short-term nature and the involvement of a nanny, while plausible, are scam characteristics.
Next the scammer asked for some personal information, and indicated payment would be made in advance. Both of these are additional warning signs of the scam.
Finally, the scammer indicated the cheque would have more than the agreed-upon fee due to some extenuating circumstance, and that the student/tutor would be expected to give the additional money to someone else (the nanny, in this case).
Thankfully the student realized this was a scam and reported it to their department. Victims of these scams can lose thousands of dollars when the cheques eventually bounce.
If you are a UVic student and have seen these scams, report them to the Computer Help Desk.