The Latest Email Scam
from the ever-changing-scams dept
Having realized that the shelf-life of the typical Nigerian 419 email scam may be nearing its end, it sounds like those scammers have moved on to the next set of tricks in their scam playbook. We’ve spoken about these briefly before, but this article makes it seem like it’s happening more often. The way it works is that someone in Africa contacts you to buy some sort of product you are selling online (either on your own site, or on eBay). They then send you a check – often for more than the agreed on price. They even tell you to wait until the check clears – and then asks you to send the goods (and sometimes a return on the overpayment). It’s only a week or so later that the bank discovers the check has been stolen and/or forged. The article focuses on one small online business man who seems to receive such offers all the time.
Comments on “The Latest Email Scam”
this has happened to a coworker
A coworker of mine has had this happen three times now! She has been selling a car through an internet auto sales site and three times now has had someone from Africa send her a check (one was a cashier’s check drawn on American Express) for about twice the price of the car/truck with instructions to send the leftover balance to a friend. She has refused to send the money until the check cleared, and all three times it bounced, including the cashier’s check. Caveat Emptor, but the seller needs to beware too.
Re: International cheques.....
In the UK, selling things via eBay, sometimes Americans insist on sending checks despite us asking for Bidpay/ Paypal/ anything else at all!
It takes our bank *6 weeks* to confirm that an international check has cleared, so we have to inform a buyer that since they’ve sent this payment method, we can’t ship until the check has confirmed as cleared.
Che[ck|que]s suck big time, especially internationally!
Re: this has happened to a coworker
Good day
Thanks for the mail,the shipment is to be handle by my shiping agents
who will come for the pick up immediately payment is settled, I just
spoke with my client in the US who is going to make the payment for me as
he is owing me some money and he said h
e wants to pay with cashiers check. I am not an American so you guys
know the most preferable option.
My client will be sending the check of $5,000 so i expect that the
excess funds on it be sent back to him, as this will be used for him to
finish an urgent transaction. As soon as i get your full name and address
including your contact number to which
the check will be issued and send it to you, then i will immediately
instruct my client to send you the check.
I look forward to trustworthy transaction with you, expecting your
mail the soonest.
Thank you, Shed
SCAM
Good day
Thanks for the mail,the shipment is to be handle by my shiping agents
who will come for the pick up immediately payment is settled, I just
spoke with my client in the US who is going to make the payment for me as
he is owing me some money and he said h
e wants to pay with cashiers check. I am not an American so you guys
know the most preferable option.
e-mail-timothy205@zwallet.com
SCAM
Good day
Thanks for the mail,the shipment is to be handle by my shiping agents
who will come for the pick up immediately payment is settled, I just
spoke with my client in the US who is going to make the payment for me as
he is owing me some money and he said h
e wants to pay with cashiers check. I am not an American so you guys
know the most preferable option.
My client will be sending the check of $5,000 so i expect that the
excess funds on it be sent back to him, as this will be used for him to
finish an urgent transaction. As soon as i get your full name and address
including your contact number to which
the check will be issued and send it to you, then i will immediately
instruct my client to send you the check.
dirt
sudina@sudinasearch.com
international pickup fraud
I just got a check from international pickup (pick_up_goods1@yahoo.com) for $3,000. The check came certified mail with a note inside saying to email the above address. The bank says the check, although very real, brings up all the red flags of a scam.
Beware, people…