Beware of Fraud!

[Tiger]

Well, yesterday I received something in the mail. It contained a check for $2,500. I decided to call the bank of supposed origin to see if it would clear, and they told me that the note was fraudulent. Now here's the scheme. Basically, this place (and others like it) will send you a check for a considerable amount of money. They'll say you can keep a certain amount, but they want you to "test" Money Gram or a similar service and send the money to a given destination, likely one outside the nation in which you reside. Should you ever have ANY doubt, find the phone number online of the bank in question via a google search similar to this one. Should you attempt to cash such a check, you WILL be responsible for covering the bad check. And no, I did not attempt to cash the check. It went into the shredder.

[old bob]

Congrat Tim, you had the right reaction !

I have a lot experiences with such tricks, sometimes very well prepared, coming from Eastern Europ, Africa, all around the world.

Among them, the best one was an Email announcing that I was the winner of 650'000 BP from a British Lottery, with fake documents very well forged, and a real site, confirming the "winnings". Curious was just the fact that I never bought a ticket! They explained that my name was just the result of a random research on the net and I had just to give them my bank-account number, send them 1'000 BP to cover the transfer expenses and I would get the money. There was a phone number in their adress. I called and got even a confirmation from a transport company in England. It was too nice to be true ! I didn't pay and was happy.

[Aeroplane]

I dont get it.

Surely you'd pay in the cheque and then wait til the money arrived before doing anything. Of course it isnt going to.

You wouldnt give any money to another person if a stranger promised to reward you in person until you had the money, so why would you do it for a cheque?

 

From what i've read though, your cheque system is much more open to fraud than mine. (like cheque kiting)

[Tiger]

Yeah, they need to do something to fix the problem. I'm sure some people don't bother to call the bank to see if the check will clear, and that can have devastating consequences. Fraud is all too common in the US. It's such a shame.

[Drewbie]

And half of it is because people don't pay attention to what they receive.

 

Some try to go and say their your back. Every real bank least in the U.S starts with is https.. for secured network.

Edited February 19, 2009 by Drewbie

[Benji]

This is an 'old' scheme, been around for a long time. Ever get an e-mail asking for your help in setting up a corporation in the US? They will send you checks you cash them and send them a money order back and keep a percentage. Trouble is when the fraudulent check finally clears, your account is left holding the bag.

[TalonRider]

I've had similar emails thru my yahoo account. It usually involves millions of dollars. It's usually from a barrister in another country. The story is usually the same, the head of a company and his family are killed in an auto accident and there's no other family. And they want someone to set up a bank account so the money can be put into it. Basically, I think they are trying to get the money out of a country to keep the local government from getting it. They also specify an amount that you would receive for doing this, a few million.

 

I trash it.

[MikeL]

I've had similar emails thru my yahoo account. It usually involves millions of dollars. It's usually from a barrister in another country. The story is usually the same, the head of a company and his family are killed in an auto accident and there's no other family. And they want someone to set up a bank account so the money can be put into it. Basically, I think they are trying to get the money out of a country to keep the local government from getting it. They also specify an amount that you would receive for doing this, a few million.

 

I trash it.

There is no money...except yours.

 

Beware especially of Nigeria.

Edited February 20, 2009 by MikeL

[clumber]

Meh, if someone posts me a cheque for a large amount of money then its so obviously a fraud that I can't say I actually imagine anyone doing anything other than throw it in the bin.

 

Well... actually...tell a lie. My uncle would probably use it to get the fire started.

 

 

Martin

Edited February 20, 2009 by clumber

[Graeme]

Meh, if someone posts me a cheque for a large amount of money then its so obviously a fraud that I can't say I actually imagine anyone doing anything other than throw it in the bin.

You could try framing it.

 

"See! That's the cheque I got for writing gay fiction online! Who ever said that it was a useless hobby?"

[AFriendlyFace]

Another smaller scam involves shipping and moving fees. If you've ever tried to sell anything online you'll get a random, poorly written, email from someone offering you a better bid than you received from anyone else or expected to receive. They'll then go on to say that they've already got a shipping/moving company all lined up and will pay for shipping, but they want to avoid the extra fees involved with doing a second transfer (or there'll be some other excuse) so they'll send the agreed upon amount plus the shipping and moving fee, and you are to then send just the moving fee off to another account, presumably the person/company responsible for handling the shipping/moving. Naturally if you do this you'll wind up being out the shipping and moving amount and the other funds won't clear. Usually they will be quite far away and try this scam on a large object so that the fees are understandably high. Often the fact that they are far away also helps "explain" why they have to use this particular company (there's a local branch in their city, or they couldn't do foot research in your city so they had to take what they could get, etc).

 

On another note, at first I thought this thread said "Beware of Freud." Naturally as someone with a background in psychology this piqued my interest.

 

-Kevin

Edited February 20, 2009 by AFriendlyFace

[Benji]

As luck would have it I have won the Australian Lottery, talk about timing this was e-mailed to me today; DO NOT RESPOND THIS IS A SCAM

 

 

FROM THE DESK OF THE VICE PRESIDENT INTERNATIONAL

PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARDS DEPARTMENT AUSTRALIAN

INTERNATIONAL SWEEPSTAKES LOTTERY CORPORATION;

 

DATE: 20/02/2009

REF NUMBER: 475061725

BATCH NUMBER: 7056490902/188

WINNING NUMBER: GB8701/L PRC

WINNER #6

 

CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE WON US$400,000.00,

 

Dear Sir/Madam,We are delighted to inform you of your prize release on the 20th FEBRUARY 2009 from the AUSTRALIA INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROGRAMMER,Which is fully based on anelectronic selection of winners using their e-mail addresses, Your name wasattached to ticket number; 470617250705649 0902 serial number 7741137002. Thisbatch draws the lucky numbers as follows 5-13-33-37-42 bonus number 17, which consequently won the lottery in the first category. You have been approved alump sum of Four Hundred Thousand United States Dollars($400,000.00USD) in cashcredit file ref: ILP/HW 47509/02 from the total cash prize shared amongst eightlucky winners in first category.

 

All participant were selected through computer balloting system drawn form Ninehundred thousand E-mail addresses from Canada, Australia,United States, Asia,Europe, Middle East, Africa and Oceania as part of our international promotionsprogram which is conducted annually. This Lottery was promoted and sponsored bya conglomerate of some international companies as part of their socialresponsibility to the citizens in the communities where they have operationalbase. Furthermore your detail (e-mail address) falls within our NIGERIArepresentative office in AFRICA as indicated in your play coupon and yourprize of Four Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($400,000.00USD) will bereleased to you from this regional branch office in NIGERIA.We hope with part of your prize, you will participate in our end of year highstakes for US$2.6 Billion international draw.

 

HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE: Simply contact our fiducially Agent,

DR.MATHEW RALPHEL

Email address; paycenter1@hotmail.com

PHONE: 011 234 8073562586

 

To file for your claim. Please quote your reference, batch and winning number,which can be found on the top left corner of this notification from the winning information you have given to this office concerning your prize money of $400,000.00usd, which you have won, you are the Original winner of the prize money.

 

1.FULLNAMES:________________________________

2.ADDRESS:___________________________________

3.SEX:_______________________________________

4.AGE:_______________________________________

5.NATIONALITY_______________________________

6.OCCUPATION:________________________________

7.BANK NAME:_________________________________

8.ACCOUNT NUMBER:____________________________

9.E-MAIL ADDRESS:____________________________

10.TELEPHONE NUMBER:_________________________

11.AMOUNT WON:_______________________________

12.MARITAL STATUS:___________________________

NOTIFICATION DATE:___________________________

 

ANY BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY ON THE PART OF THE WINNERS WILL RESULT TODISQUALIFICATION. In anticipation of your urgent response to this! For securityreasons, we advice all winners to keep thisinformation confidential from the public until your claim is processed=20 and your prize released to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoiddouble claiming and unwarranted taking advantage of this lottery programmer bynon-participant or non-official personnel. NOTE, all winnings must be claimed before 12TH of MARCH 2009, otherwise all funds will be returned as Unclaimedand eventually donated to charity organization. How Long Until You MakeYou're First Million? // $1 million (© GeorgeDiebold/Solus-Veer/Corbis)

 

Congratulations once again on your winnings!!!

 

Best Regards

REV FR.DUCK MAYOR.

(Coordinator).

 

PLEASE REPLY TO THE EMAIL BELOW CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT;

DR.MATHEW RALPHEL

Email address; paycenter1@hotmail.com

PHONE: 011 234 8073562586

 

YOU MUST CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT WITH THE E-MAIL ADDRESSES THAT HAVE BEENINDICATED FOR CLARIFICATIONS. Australian Lottery International coordinator (Announcer).

 

NOTE: SCAMMERS MAY CONTACT YOU DUE TO YOUR NAME IS PASTED ON THE WINNERS NOTICE BOARD, YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL AND DONT'T REPLY ANY SUCH EMAILS WITHOUT THIS PAYMENT CODE (AUSTAXMOF).

 

 

Yeah, right!!!!!!!!

[glomph]

"Beware of Freud."

 

Him, too.