Warning About Cashiers Checks!!!

[Tarzet]

I just wanted to warn everyone about this. I ALMOST fell for it...thanks to the lady at Western Union I found out about it before it was too late! We could have lost thousands!!!
The name of this "buyer" was D. Martins his email address is d_martins30@fastermail.com
If your situation seems simillar to the following info, you may want to contact the IFCC, and your bank. It can take up to 30 days for the bank to realize the cashiers check is a fake!!! By then it is too late and YOU will owe the bank...while this jerk has YOUR money!


I was given the following info from the Internet fraud complaint center and the Federal Bureau of Investigation at at http://www.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp.


INTELLIGENCE NOTE
11/04/2003
Prepared by the
Internet Fraud Complaint Center
The Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC), a cooperative effort of the FBI and the
National White Collar Crime Center, is alerting citizens to scams involving the use of counterfeit
cashier’s checks.
The scheme targets individuals that use Internet classified ads to sell merchandise.
Typically, an interested party located outside the United States contacts a seller. The seller is
told that the buyer has an associate in the United States that owes him money. As such, he will
have the associate send the seller a cashier's check for the amount owed to the buyer. This
amount will be thousands of dollars more than the price of the merchandise, and the seller is told
the excess amount will be used to pay the shipping costs associated with getting the merchandise
to his location. The seller is instructed to deposit the check, and as soon as it clears, to wire
(Western Union) the excess funds back to the buyer, or to another associate identified as a
shipping agent. In most instances, the money is sent to locations in West Africa (Nigeria).
Because a cashier's check is used, a bank will typically release the funds immediately, or after a
one or two day hold. Falsely believing the check has cleared, the seller wires the money as
instructed. In some cases, the buyer is able to convince the seller that some circumstance has
arisen that necessitates the cancellation of the sale, and is successful in conning the victim into
sending the remainder of the money. Shortly thereafter, their bank notifies the victim that the
check was fraudulent, and the bank is holding the victim responsible for the full amount of the
check.
The IFCC is cautioning citizens to be wary of any purchasers proposing to conduct
transactions in this manner, and to take the steps necessary to ensure that a check has fully
cleared before doing anything with those funds.
Anyone who thinks they might have fallen victim to this or any other type of Internet
scam can notify the IFCC through its web site at www.ifccfbi.gov.

[Stockwell]

Yup, I'm aware of this scam from another Canadian herper and when I was asked for my advice I told them it looked like a laundering operation and to avoid it at all cost.
Why would anyone get you and your bank account involved in their personal dept with someone else. Its pretty obvious that something is fishy or the guy would pay off his supposed "associate" and leave you out of it.
This scam varies a bit and has been used to try to procure geckos/dragons with the supposed friend sending someone to pick them up and looking after all the shipping details (har har). They also ask for phone numbers and your address which is pretty scary..

Be smart people! Don't accept any cheques or third party deals when you don't know the people involved. Always be very leary about giving out personal info as well, unless the individual or his/her reputation is known to you.
Postal money order, bank draft, and cash is king, but even look that over well as lots of fake notes are circulating and one was used to buy herps last year here in TO.

[Gillards]

I got an email yesterday from someone wanting to do this. He also said I could keep an extra 100.00 for the trouble.

Lorraine

[gonesnakee]

One word is all I have to say CASH. Once cash has been deposited or directly wired into your bank account, its there its yours, its CASH. CHQs are for the landlord for rent, irreguardless of what kind of chq, they aren't for me. IMHO Mark

[Bryce Masuk]

How does a Cashiers check differ from a Money order? I know with a money order you have to lay down the cash in order to get it. is a cashiers check just a check?

[Cool Critters]

These are fake cashiers checks, They almost got me a month ago also.
I have been asked probably 8 times this month to by the same type of people, Right now I have another one doing the same thing so I played along with them I am waiting for my fake cashiers check to come this week, I figured I might as well take some money from them seeing it will cost them to ship it. LOL

[Tarzet]

This guy has been calling my house every few hours!! Scary....
Kurt finally picked up the phone and told him what western union told us. He never called again but did send me this...
___________________
Teresa, Please i will need you to send it to me before i will jet out with my father to Germany concerning his condition for the proper treatment.Pls and pls i will need this to be done immediately.And i hope you don't pray what happining to my father to happy to you.I will need you to consider my father's condition. Thanks,and god bless.
______________________

I sent him the same info as I posted above. I told him that after my bank investigates the check, and it is proven to be good I will send him the money..till then ...he would have to understand why I wouldnt.
Hopefully I wont here from him again.

[Tarzet]

Here is what he replyed.....

______________________
I understand what going on,but since i am not a nigerian i am belgian.So i will need you to consider my father's condition as at now and as soon as your bank comfirm it i will come for the pick up of the lizard myself. Thanks,do sent it immediately so that i will save my father's life.
________________________

What do you think I should do? and what IF the guy is for real???? which is highly unlikely...but still!!!! Arggg...this sucks!

[Cruciform]

The guy is not real.

Contact the RCMP. You're getting phone calls from someone who is trying to defraud you. Someone in their fraud squad may be able to help you.

Do some research on "419 scams". There are more and more of these variations appearing out there. The latest one actually involves a threat that a sniper will shoot you within 96 hours if you don't send them money.

And whatever you do, if the person tries to arrange a physical meeting, do not meet them. I haven't heard of anything happening to anyone who fell for one in North America, but there have been a few kidnappings and a couple of murders of people who went to deal with these sorts of scammers directly or went after their money.

[Rebecca]

I'd say that it's all a hoax and not real Teresa. If it is real he should not be buying a lizard when his father is so ill right.

[Tarzet]

Rebecca...He did not just want one lizzard...it was many. He says he is buying them for a client.

Cruciform...OK...way to go...scare me why dont you...lol.

[rwg]

This is known as the "Nigerian Scam" or the "419 scam". Look for it on the internet, and you'll find many many examples and variations. Fraud is so rampant in Nigeria and some other parts of Africa that it is recomended that private businesses not do business with anyone in Nigeria, or if you must, insist on cash up-front. You did the right thing. Sometimes it looks like a legit business transaction. Sometimes it looks like you are being asked to participate in money laundering at great profit. Always it is a scam. Dont give it a second thought.

rg

[mathaldo]

Here's a good link...
http://www.bustedupcowgirl.com/scampage.html

[Melly18]

Thanks for sharing this with us Tarzet...I wasn't aware of these types of scams. It's crazy how many scams are out there and fraudulent people...always got to keep an eye open :S

[ICULIZARD]

Thought it was time to bring this post back....we just got the following e-mail and it doesn't say much, but I see where it's going. I told him sure we could do business and will be giving him the address of our closest police station to send the cheque to.

From : Saint Saint <saint2529@yahoo.com>
Sent : August 24, 2004 10:52:47 PM
To : iculizard@hotmail.com
Subject : Interested in your geckos

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Can you ship to Puerto Rico by Federal Express. I can make business with you.