Police are warning of an overseas scam they say amounts to money laundering.
Detective Sergeant Dave Grace says last week a woman from Hamilton answered an internet job offer from an unsolicited email which included an application form.
The woman was wired $9000 and emailed instructions to move it into offshore accounts.
Mr Grace says this is, in effect, money laundering, with people moving illegitimate cash away from criminal activities.
He says while each case will be reviewed on its own merits, people could face up to seven years' in jail.
Police say people need to be wary of unsolicited emails, phone calls and texts promising large windfalls - and if the offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
The warning follows recent incidents in which people were asked to wire an administration fee to an account via Western Union with the promise of a large refund to follow.
