Scam?

My 14 year old step son got a UPS Express delivery today. Inside was a check for $2,500... that's it. The return address is in Colorado Springs. The check is from University of Texas at Austin. We don't know anyone from either city. My wife called the bank. They verified that it is a legitimate account but the funds are not available.

I am thinking it is a scam of some sort, but I can't figure out how a scammer can benefit from it. Anyone see anything like this before?

 

http://www.google.com/search?q=check+scam+ups&btnG=Search&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=Ab3&sa=2

Scam indeed. I've seen a few of these show up at friend's houses. They get the same information that you are getting - legit account without funds. I'm unsure how the scammers are making money, but you'll be dinged for depositing a fraudulent check or the "claimed" UT Austin will come back at you.

 

How strange, i would love to hear how they actually benefit from this.

 

I wonder if the owner of the unfunded checking account gets visibility of the person's name, ABA number, and account number of the failed deposit transaction when the bounced check happens? If so, this would be a sneaky way to get all your account info and try to later do a draft wire transfer request from your account.

Actually, I took a look at the scanned images of the recent checks that cleared my personal checking account and it does show the ABA number, account number, and often the person or company's name of who deposited the check. Scary.

In fact, maybe an even more subtle scam is to mail people small checks that actually work (like a $5 check) from a ficticious company name with a letter explaining why you are getting paid the $5 refund. Imagine something like "We are company XYZ and we've been hired to evaluate the customers of BlockBuster Video (or some other national chain like Burger King). Based on our data research you are a long-time loyal customer and the attached check for $5 is a small way for us to say "thank you" to those customers." Then, you cash the $5 check, they get the account data, and empty your account. Surely there must things that safeguard against this type of scam.

 

I would contact UT Austin with the information you have given us. I am sure they do not want their name attached anywhere to a possibly fraudulent (99.99999999% sure it is fraudulent) check. If it is a real account and really in their name they can have it closed so no activity can go through it including tracking your own bank information. Give them a call. I would start with the financial aids office as many checks come from there.

 

Thread revival / PSA

My 16yr old daughter just received an email from a professor she is working part-time with , for fee. The email states:

For the 11th item, you should purchase three $250 OneVanilla physical Cards from any of the listed retail outlets near you .The will be utilized for our fee based subscription online survey task to collect data & automate processes (no coding needed) . We do have a facilitator who is working in collaboration with the surveymonkey website admin for the purpose of this research and a separate easy to use and understand interface will be created on their website for this purpose. This will in turn reduce the time span needed to complete an online survey which on the average is two-third shorter than that of traditional research methods. Attached is a sample of the web- interface from where we'll be carrying out our online survey task .Just as indicated it will be a fee- based subscription survey which will allow us to collect the most complete and accurate data in a logical flow. Reimbursement for the three cards has been included in your first week paycheck.


She did receive a separate email with 2 pdf docs - front & back of a $1,025.00 check. Since she doesn't have mobile checking she asked me to deposit . So I did . I Know she is doing the part time work , I know her fee is about $250 per week , so it made sense except for the OneVinilla fee that she was going to absorb out of her salary - it's the little things that annoyed me.

Until my son called me and said it was a scam . What? How could it be , I have their money ? Not.

They did want her to reply back to the email with proof that she deposited the check which would have showed her account number , we didn't get to that point.

Yup , rule number one of email security - look at the URL address which neither my daughter or I did . My son did and it came from a gmail account rather than the professor's edu account

I told bank and got them to note our account and they will reimburse us the bounced check fee when it happens in a week or so .

Ugh, but scam averted.

 

Scam 2

Although not nearly as elaborate as your scenario, but I’m RICH !!!

Subject: Your ATM Card has been credited (SBIN51425261059)
Date: 23:22
From: "Al-Shaikh Group" <[email protected]>
To: Recipients <[email protected]>
Reply-To: [email protected]

I have Credited your EcoBank ATM Card with $ 1.5 Million Dollars, Under Al-Shaikh Group Company with
registration IFSC Code of "SBIN51425261059"

Please Reply for your delivery with the following details such as:
Your Full Name, Your home Address and phone number, so we can commence with the delivery of your ATM Card.

Best Regards
David Cooper VS (EcoBank-Transfer Manager)

E-mail: [email protected]
T. +1(425)264 6973
M. +254 796680988