| Author |
Message |
911 Fan (911fan)
New member
Username: 911fan
Post Number: 13
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 10:23 pm: | |
LionsFan54,
I think the only scam-safe method is to demand payment via wire transfer. Explain to the buyer that you will not accept funds delivered in any other manner.
To be extra cautious, you can open a temporary account just for this purpose. Then transfer the wired funds to one of your regular accounts ASAP!
Having said that, I would still be suspicious if someone wired me thousands of dollars over the agreed upon selling price -- no matter what the explanation is!
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LionsFan54 (Lionsfan54)
New member
Username: Lionsfan54
Post Number: 14
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 8:40 pm: | |
Thanks for all the explanations. I think if it was me I would just get word from the bank that I really have the money (eg I could take it out in cash that day) before I mailed anything.
Of course the crappy email and the weird dollar amounts would most likely scare me off.
If a cashier's check isn't as good as cash, what is? Certified check? I've sold several cars after getting cashier's checks. I suppose I've just dealt with honest people... |
Steven R. Rochlin (Enjoythemusic)
Member
Username: Enjoythemusic
Post Number: 514
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 5:12 pm: | |
BTW, the scammers MIGHT us a REAL account that has funds... just not an account they have a right to offer checks on. In other words, they find a legit account and start forging checks off of it. This is common, at times, and how i busted one scammer since i practiced due diligence and contacted the check account owner directly. In fact i must have saved him well over $50k as by the time he realized the fraudulent checks were happening, well over $50k would have been withdrawn and cleared.
Enjoy the Drive,
Steven R. Rochlin
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Chris Horner (Cmhorner17)
Junior Member
Username: Cmhorner17
Post Number: 194
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 5:01 pm: | |
The forgers will usually put a wrong routing number for the bank on the check. That's why it takes so long for it to come back as a forgery. The check gets bounced around for far longer than it should before reaching the bank it supposedly came from. |
nickm........ (Nickm)
Junior Member
Username: Nickm
Post Number: 242
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 4:58 pm: | |
Im going to get his check, deposit it then wait for it to clear. He is going to send me his "shippers" bank info. so I can wire money into his account to pay for all the "shipping costs". Of course, this if the scammers account. When he sends me that account #, I'll give it to my buddy (FBI) and hopefully get the guy into a nice taxpayer hotel. (jail) As soon as the cashiers check bounces, that is.
I wonder how may people he is doing this to? I bet more than half of the people fall for this hoax. I would have fallen for it if he wasn't sending soooooo much extra money to cover the shipping. $2100 for shipping costs?... Come on.
(PS: It is supposed to ship to Turkey). |
Andrew-Phillip Goalen (Andrewg)
Junior Member
Username: Andrewg
Post Number: 120
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 3:04 pm: | |
Nick, why not take the cheque and keep the parts ;) |
nickm........ (Nickm)
Junior Member
Username: Nickm
Post Number: 241
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 1:29 pm: | |
Whoops, guess I was too slow there. I gotta stop working at work, and keep looking at Fchat.
What am I thinking.???? |
nickm........ (Nickm)
Junior Member
Username: Nickm
Post Number: 240
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 1:25 pm: | |
Suposedly, from what someone posted. You get the cashiers check (which is a fake), bring it to your bank and deposit it. Now you have $3000 extra in your account. But...guess what? In 2-3 weeks your bank will tell you that the check is a fake, & take the money back out of your account. You WILL be OK as long as you havent sent out the items, AND haven't wired money out or your account to his "shipper".
He's counting on you, having more money in your account than just the $3000 check (which will be no good soon) he sent you.
Got it. See how easy it would be to get fooled.
You would look at your account and think, "Gee... a cashiers check is just like cash." And the bank will record $3000 into your account. But... they will also take it right back out later.
Dont feel bad, I didnt think about this either.
How easy would it be for you, right now, to run to your bank, buy a chshiers check for $1.00. Scan it into your computer, Photoshop out the dollar amount, type in the dollar amount you want on the check, then print it out. Oh yeah... to fool someone, you might have to go to a good paper supply store and find blank paper JUST like the paper on your real cashiers check.
You could print out cashiers checks at will, for whatever dollar amount you want.
Ahhh.. . the things you learn ofn Ferrari chat. |
Scott A. B. Collins (Scott)
Junior Member
Username: Scott
Post Number: 188
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 1:21 pm: | |
There was a TV news magazine show about this several months ago. I think most of the general public (myself previously included) thinks that cashier's checks are like cash, and that there is no risk involved. As pointed out below, this is wrong. |
Ken Thomas (Future328driver)
Member
Username: Future328driver
Post Number: 430
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 1:13 pm: | |
This is a well known scam. Check some previous posts. Basically, it is money laundering. He writes you a check, you deposit it, you send him the change and the parts, the check comes back as a forgery. The entire point is that a typical person whould not wait for the check to clear before sending the parts and the change. The theif gets parts and "change" for giving you a bogus check. It would be up to you to argue with your bank over whether you are out the money - it has been a while since I stidied Commercial Paper law, so I dont remember exactly what your liability is.
The text of the e-mail would be more than enough to raise suspicion in my book. |
Faisal Khan (Tvrfreak)
Member
Username: Tvrfreak
Post Number: 383
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 1:08 pm: | |
Lionsfan,
the type of check used does not clear right away. But the bank shows that you have the funds. It sometimes takes over a month for the bank to inform you that it was not honored. By then you have sent off the parts, car, balance of money, whatever, based on the initial information from the bank that the money is in your account. Beware. |
Steven R. Rochlin (Enjoythemusic)
Member
Username: Enjoythemusic
Post Number: 511
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 1:07 pm: | |
(Sigh) Could very well be a scam. Have an open FBI file against someone along the same lines. The cashier's check may very well be a forgery. BEWARE: as i recall a bank MUST clear funds in 5 days, even if the actual check does not clear. Then they want you to Western Union the extra $$$. Now where did i put my scam notice... oh yeah...
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/news/0303/
Enjoy the Drive,
Steven R. Rochlin
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LionsFan54 (Lionsfan54)
New member
Username: Lionsfan54
Post Number: 13
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 12:54 pm: | |
Maybe I'm dumb, but how is this a scam that could hurt you? He's sending you $3k for $900 worth of parts.
Make sure the check clears completely and pass him his "change". I guess if he knew your address he could come steal the parts... |
nickm........ (Nickm)
Junior Member
Username: Nickm
Post Number: 239
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 12:34 pm: | |
With just a little more thought behind this scam he could EASILY pull it off. Like... ASK some questions about what you are buying! If he had simply spent about 5 extra minutes preparing for this scam, it might have worked.
He must have MANY people sending $$ and simply doesnt have the time to spend on the small talk. Either that or he's extremely ignorant. |
Andre Vieira (Goggles_pisano)
Junior Member
Username: Goggles_pisano
Post Number: 103
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 12:30 pm: | |
If the person you're dealing with is named Chris Sawyerr or has the email address [email protected], could you ask him if he has anymore raffle tickets for sale? I'm feelin' pretty lucky.
Thanks in advance. |
nickm........ (Nickm)
Junior Member
Username: Nickm
Post Number: 238
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 12:27 pm: | |
Thanks to you guys for posting all those scams for people trying to rip you off. This could easily work for someone trying to purchase your car. Check this out: I had an add for some Porsche parts I'm selling, (not a national add)(...so these guys are out there everywhere) Watch out!
Hi,
i have told you what i want and the total cost for very thing is $914.Payment will be by a certified casher's check therefor i will intruct my client in the states to issue you a check of $3000, this is for all expences involved in this transaction, when you recieve it, cash it, deduct your money and wire the balance to my shipper, his address will be sent to you as soon as i can get a hold of him and talk to him about this transaction, the money wired to the shipper is his fees for his services, his transportation to and fro and all other charges that will be involved, now what i need from you is to give me your full contact address and phone number so that i could forward it to my client who will issue the check and also to check out things myself and know how my money is been utilized, i need the 911 Porsche Parts as soon as possible,let me know if you are still intrested and i hope you are ok with this arrangement.thanks.
> Engr Adam.......
INTERESTING Eh? Dont know if it's a scam yet
but Im sure it is, as he's never even asked me the slightest technical questions about the parts. Just.."Send them to me!". He'll have a good suprise coming to him soon though, I have a friend that works for the FBI. This might get fun... F***in' thieves. If I hadn't read about this type of scam on F-chat, I probably would have done this. |