Instead of bringing in some extra money to help pay bills, Kristen Isabel and her husband are scrambling to repay their credit union after being scammed out of nearly $3,000. Like many Canadians, Isabel responded to a text offering her money to carry a company ad on her car.

Cheque overpayment scam

Isabel is one of dozens of Canadians CBC Montreal Investigates heard from after reading their story about the latest cheque overpayment scam. In that story, Louanne Cataford, a Montreal college student, ended up on the hook for almost $4,000 after falling for a similar offer in an unsolicited text.

Scams prevented by media story

CBC Montreal Investigates heard from many other victims desperate to get their money back. Some of their banks had frozen their accounts, leaving them unable to pay their rent. There were also some happy endings. Some people had signed onto the job scam and were either waiting for cheques or on the verge of depositing cheques that were almost certainly counterfeit when they read Cataford’s story. They immediately cut off all communication with the scammers.

Read more about the scam at CBC News.