The fake Interac e-Transfer scam

What the scam looks like

You list something for sale on Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji and a "buyer" agrees to your price right away - often without haggling. They say they've sent the money by Interac e-Transfer, and you get an email that looks like an official Interac notification.

The email says the transfer is "on hold" or "pending," and that to receive the money you need to click a link and "verify" your account - or pay a small fee to "release" the funds. A common variation: the buyer claims they accidentally sent too much and asks you to e-Transfer the difference back.

There is no real transfer. The email is fake, the link leads to a page that steals your banking login, and any "refund" you send comes straight out of your own pocket.

Red flags

• A buyer who agrees to your full asking price instantly and wants to pay by e-Transfer before seeing the item.
• An "Interac" email saying the money is on hold until you click a link or pay a fee. Real Interac transfers are deposited or auto-deposited - they are never held pending a fee.
• Pressure to act fast so you "don't lose the payment."
• A buyer who overpays and asks you to send back the difference.

What to do

• Don't click links in e-Transfer emails. Log in to your bank directly to confirm whether money actually arrived.
• A real Interac e-Transfer never asks you to pay a fee to receive it.
• Never refund an "overpayment" - if you didn't get real money, you have nothing to send back.
• Got an email like this? Paste it into our email checker to see the warning signs.