Possible Scam?!

[nate_sf]

I just got one of these e-mails this week, and I'm not even advertising anymore! It seemed odd to me that he never referred to my city specifically, not to mention the crazy amount of money being discussed and the whole weirdness with cashiers checks, so I thought I'd pay the MC a visit. Sure enough, here we are!

 

This reminds me of an article I saw in Wired magazine a few years back, where they took one of these Nigerian bank account scams to a ridiculous extreme with all sorts of bogus correspondence. I think it was also shown on a web site... anybody have the link? I remember they photoshopped the mouth from an orangutan onto a woman's face and sent it to the scam artist, who replied "you are beautiful!"

[JamesK840]

>What would be the risk from accepting U.S. Postal money

>orders as prepayment (no bank wire transfer)? He wants to

>overpay and the balance sent to a third party by hard copy

>personal check.

 

I just saw something the other day (maybe in Wired) about a huge increase in fraudulent Postal Money Orders and the effect it's having on eBay transactions.

 

Often the scams in the article I read took the form of "I'll send you extra, could you forward the rest on to my associate...".

 

As for the risk, it's all a matter of how long it takes the bank to reverse the charges and how you explain to the investigator how you got involved in the exchange in the first place...

[BostonChris]

SCAM SCAM SCAM!

 

Okay... I wish I read all of this a few weeks ago!

 

So, blah blah blah, same story as the rest... BUT, he sent me the money orders. They were sent from his 'associate' in New York City.

I took them to Western Union to try and cash them.

Fake fake fake.

I asked for copies of them and told the attendant that I had tried

calling the post office to verify their authenticity, but had no luck getting through the phone system.

Needless to say, they confiscated the counterfeit 'international postal money order's.

No harm done to me. I told them that it was

supposed to be payment for an ebay transaction. So, all I really

lost was about 10 minutes of my day.

Something that seems too good to be true (i.e. someone blindly sending $4000 in money orders) ALWAYS is just that, too good to be true. I mean, really, who would do that?

So, I emailed the jerk-off that tried scamming and told him that I

wanted no part of some counterfeit money laundering operation.

He apologized and said that there must be some mistake.

Whatever.

 

Too many freaks out there....always watch your back.

Take care guys, it's nice that we can look out for eachother,

-Chris

chris@chriscrawfordxxx.com

http://www.chriscrawfordxxx.com

[noviceny]

Boston Chris,

 

Do you see what happens when you dont read every single thread on the MC !!!! Disaster strikes !!! Im glad ya didnt get fucked by this guy though...

 

An aquantaince of mine just got scammed by some business in the UK. He bought a bike (motorcycle) from this supposed website that had him put his money in with Western Union and then sent the package out. Now this kid is pretty stupid in the first place, but as soon as he got confimation and tracking fro DHL, he gave the guy the authorization code to get the money...why this idiot didnt wait til he got the bike, I dont know. Anyway, the next day when he called DHL again, they said they had no record of anything and no bike for him. I am so pissed at this guy for being so stupid and he lost $2500 on this scheme. I dont know how this kid thought he could get a $6000 used bike, for $2500, and that included shipping overseas. Anyway, just another story of BS

[FrancoDiSantisxxx]

Someone To Watch Over Me

 

In case any escort is wondering, there is a new tack on this type of scam, where the initial contact or two is more innocent, before they get on to the "money order" or "cashier's check" portion of the deal. The new e-mails read as follows:

 

Thanks for the internet assess which make me locate a gay excort to

keep my company when i get to the US.I will be spending weeks in the

united states,i got your information after relentless search for an excort

to keep my company upon my arrival in the United States.Mail me back if

you will be available when i get there.

Love from,

[Steven_Draker]

Different version, same scam

 

Here is another version of the same scam. I get one of those emails literally every day.

 

"Hello,

I was surfing the web and searching for an escorts when i came across your E-mail address, And It's been 2 weeks now that i have been looking for escort,tell me more about your self and above all how much do you charge per day? what country are you from.?because i want to come down and meet you overthere.

Am going to pay you with a certified international money order or cashiers check.

Awaits your urgent response as soon as possible for us to talk more extensively about this transaction.

 

Regards"

 

Several red flags, I don't even bother to reply: been there, done that and got the t-shirt too.

In addition the Counterfeit cashier check scam is currently flooding Europe and the info was in the news tonight.

 

Here is a website explaining how the scam works http://www.counterfeitcashierscheckscam.com

 

Steven Draker ~

[Guest Jesse Dane]

RE: Different version, same scam

 

I think pretty much all of us have started getting these now.

 

Just like we all get "enlarge your penis", "refinance your home", and the good ol "someone died in africa and left all this money so please give me your bank account".

 

It's ridiculous scamming spam of one sort or another. Just click delete and be on with your day.

[BostonChris]

RE: Different version, same scam

 

Thanks for the link!

Scam scam scam.

Since I last posted on this string, I have received 5, yup, count'em, FIVE different guys try that scam with me. Most were from London, all worked for some sort of textile company. I just wish they'd give up. AND yes, all emails looked like that sample one listed above.

Stay clear of all of these frauds.

Best of luck,

-Chris

chris@chriscrawfordxxx.com

http://www.chriscrawfordxxx.com

[Steven_Draker]

RE: Different version, same scam

 

> Just click delete and be on with your day.

 

I love to click on the SPAM button - that should be my dark sadistic side ... }(

[Hotmuscles]

Hey Guys

 

I have received MANY of these in the last few months... to the point of absolute irritation! I sense that this is actually one person, just a gut feeling... but he keeps changing his eMail addy and re - se4nding the info. I did reply, most warily (I can show you what I said) and indeed I did get a personalized answer back... however, something was really not right. Each in separate instances over time I asked for specific dates and location, I told him that I never get involved with another person's business transactions, do not accept cashiers cheques - cash only, eTicket airfare paid upfront by wire or credit card and finally I asked that person to state that they were not a police officer... In nearly every instance, there was no further reply, until the eMail began from another name... same script.

 

If anyone is interested I believe that I have kept many of the original messages, and some of my replies. I’d like to see the person or group nailed! [as Steve McGarrett,might say… ]

 

Cheers

 

Daniel

[Guest Jesse Dane]

They seem to be getting more and more frequent. I'm getting them about every other day now.

[Steven_Draker]

Good news, Anton.

Those requests are now arriving in the Bulk Folder.

 

Thank you Yahoo spam ! :-)

 

Steven Draker ~

[a href=http://www.rentboy.com/location/getrb.asp?rentboy=41986&Location=601]Pictures[/a]

[noviceny]

>Hey Guys

>

>I have received MANY of these in the last few months... to the

>point of absolute irritation! I sense that this is actually

>one person, just a gut feeling... but he keeps changing his

>eMail addy and re - se4nding the info. I did reply, most

>warily (I can show you what I said) and indeed I did get a

>personalized answer back... however, something was really not

>right. Each in separate instances over time I asked for

>specific dates and location, I told him that I never get

>involved with another person's business transactions, do not

>accept cashiers cheques - cash only, eTicket airfare paid

>upfront by wire or credit card and finally I asked that person

>to state that they were not a police officer... In nearly

>every instance, there was no further reply, until the eMail

>began from another name... same script.

>

>If anyone is interested I believe that I have kept many of the

>original messages, and some of my replies. I’d like to see the

>person or group nailed! [as Steve McGarrett,might say… ]

>

>Cheers

>

>Daniel

>

 

Hi Daniel,

 

Just a short comment about the asking if someone is a police officer. The law might be different in Canada, but in the US I dont believe a cop (especially someone who is under cover) needs to reveal who they are.

 

I know that a cop needs to identify him/her self if they are in pursuit or apprehending a suspect...but I think its kind of an urban legend that says they must identify themselves when asked.

[Trixie]

I suppose I'm somewhat naive, but I don't understand how this scam works. So a guy sends you a money order that is false. Your bank should be able to tell you within a matter of minutes if it's real or not, so what is the scammer getting out of it? Please fill me in how this is supposed to work in his/her favor.

 

Trix

[Steven_Draker]

Trixie,

The check looks alright at first glance until it bounces back, which can take up to three weeks.

 

From http://www.counterfeitcashierscheckscam.com

 

"After the seller receives the cashier’s check and deposits it to their bank account, the bank will let the seller (the banks customer) know that the funds are available usually within 24 hours"

 

"Unfortunately, many banks will say the cashier’s check funds are available within 24 hours, but this does not mean that the cashier’s check is good. It may take two or three weeks to know if the check is good or not, but by then it is too late for the victim (during this time they have already wired the money to the overseas person, and they can’t get the money back)"

 

From what I understood, there is a weakness in the current banking system which the scammers use.

 

Steven Draker ~

http://www.HotSexyStud.com/uk

[RomeTyson]

Great, just when I was wiping my forehead with relief, I've recieved three of these e-mails in the last week or so...I will be forwarding them to that link posted as well...

[RomeTyson]

Hey Anton,

 

I tried that Fraud quiz as well, and I received a 70% rating (but forgot to answer 3 after reading them LOL)