Police in Vancouver B.C. want to warn the public about the “the overpayment scam”, which has increased significantly in recent weeks.

The “overpayment scam” is when scammers approach sellers and make a purchase using a cheque made out for more than the asking price, according to Kelowna RCMP.

On Friday, citizens explained that “the excuse is often that they misunderstood the purchase price, or thought that the shipping would be more … and … then ask you to send or give them the balance back.”

The cheque given is fake, but the scammer is hoping that the victim won’t realize that until it is deposited and processed by their bank. At that point, the victim has lost both their money and the sold items.

Police point out that fake cheques come in many forms. “They can be business or personal cheques, printed to look like legitimate cheques, stolen from a victim of identity fraud, or even a fake money order.”

RCMP said that, to avoid falling victim to this scam, sellers should not accept cheques for more money than their asking price. Police also advise only accepting cheques from known and reliable buyers, or requesting cash or an e-transfer as payment instead.

Police said that anyone who has suffered financial loss or believes they are a victim of an overpayment scam should contact their local police, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, the credit bureaus Equifax Canada, and TransUnion Canada. This article was originally sourced by CTV News.