[Uncledan]

This is a long story, but this is a very interesting story! I was selling a phono amp online 3 weeks ago, then I got a person (name = PersonA) who interesed in the item. This guy have no online feedbacks. Here was what he wrote (I edited the e-mail for privacy purpose):

"Thanks for the reply, I got your message.i think i am okay with the
price of the unit for $3xx including shipping , I will like to know the name
in which the check is to be made out in, the address it is to be mailed
to and a phone number where you could be easily reached.
When I have the information, I will ensure that the payment is made
available to you from one of my clients who is owing me as I am
currently away on honeymoon.I just got married."

Then after a week, he sended this e-mail to me.

" I have just been notified by my client that the entire amount which he owes me was sent to you.

I instructed her to make out a payment for the sum $3xx USD, to you and not the whole amount he owes me. He owes me the sum of $3,800USD.

I was notified that he made out the payment for the sum of $3,800USD in your name instead of the amount that is supposed to be for the payment as agreed.

I will need you to be honest and sincere. I need you to assure me that immediately you receive the payment, you will cash it, withdraw your own payment and the excess, I will provide you all the information required in refunding the excess, preferreably via Thomas Cooke money gram transfer.

Not to worry, I am sure we can handle this. All I need is an assurance that you can be trusted and that you can handle the situation. I do my business based on trust, it has always been very good with me, I hope that you will help me keep that record. I really will appreciate utmost sincerity from you."

I told him that it is stupid to cash out US$ money order in Canadian bank, since Canadian bank need to exchange the US$ money order to CAN$ and I have to use CAN$ to buy another US$ money order, the exchange charge will be huge. (around 5%-8% in total). But PersonA said it was fine. I waited and waited for 2 weeks. In the mean while, he sended me this:

" I know you might have been expecting the cheque i just had unexpectted sad news from my father,that my sister is in hospital with breast cancer problem she has to go under surgery operation that is why you couldin't here from me about the cheque,i had contact this my client and told me that he will like me to give him go ahead before he resend the payment.so i want you to expect the check next week Thursday or Friday Morning latest."

and this:

Thanks for your understanding ,since the check has been written in your name and sent to you i think it would be better you had it cashed 5-8% of the money is quite a lot of money,but prefer to loose that amount other than to loose the whole since my client was kind of non-chanlant in paying me my money you how it is to get money you borrowed someone so I would rather prefer you go ahead cash it as you know i am on honey moon with my wife and would like to have the unit as soon as I get back please do help me handle this and i would be so grateful regards


I did not receive the money order from PersonA's client for 2 weeks, then I decided to sell the phono to other buyer and tell PersonA about it. Then PersonA send this e-mail to me:

"I really appreciate your patience.But i will want you to know that
my client has already sent the full payment that he his oweing me to your location.

Meanwhile i will like you to write me an email immediately you recieved the check.And also as you know that this my client has been promising to send the money.I will like you to have the check cashed and take the sum of $200 for the running arround to have the check cashed.

you are also free to split out any commission fee to cashed the check..Ok?
Therefore,i will like you to have the excess funds sent to the shipper agent via Western union or Money gram.Because he will be using the excess funds for the picked up of the car that i purchased for my wife and other things that i purchase for my children..Ok?"

After more than a week, I received a US$3800 money order. The money order seems fine, but it is unusual that the letter shipper address is from San Francisco by PersonB but the money order bought from Michigan by PersonC. Anyway, I told PersonA that I got the money order, and it is what he wrote:

I called my client today and he told me you will be recieving payment ANY MOMENT FROM NOW THROUGH USPS , so as soon as you recieve the wallmart Money Order i want you to have it cashed immediately the same day and deduct your own money and send the balance to my shipper via western union money transfer to my shipper immediately. The funds sent will be used by my shipper to arrange for the pick up from your location. I want him to come to your location very soon as the time
coincides with the shipment of my goods in the states. I called his company (shippers world clearing and forwarding ) and i was told that he just got to NIGERIA yesterday to handle some export duties on behalf of a firm based there. Here is the shippers information which will be used to get the funds sent to him via western union money transfer as soon as you receive the wallmart Money Order .

NAME : PersonD
ADDRESS : xxxx
CITY : xxx
STATES : xxx
POSTCODE : xxx
COUNTRY : NIGERIA
Cell Phone Number: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Email I .D: xxxx@yahoo.com

I WANT YOU TO TAKE THE MONEY ORDER TO YOUR BANK IMMEDIATELY YOU RECEIVE IT TO GET IT CASHED , AND ALSO I WANT YOU TO DOUBLE SIGN EACH OF THE MONEY ORDER AT THE BACK TO ENSURE IMMEDIATE CASHING OF THE MONEY ORDER AT THE BANK. PLS DONT FORGET TO GET THE EXCESS FUNDS WIRED TO THE SHIPPER VIA WESTERN UNION THE SAME DAY YOU RECEIVE THE MONEY ORDER , TO AVOID ME PAYING
THE SHIPPING COMPANY DEMORAGE FEE.I AWAIT YOUR REPLY

I e-mailed PersonA and told him I got the money order, then he called me and rush me to cash out the money order, and give him the information of the Western Union as follow:

After you have sent the money for shippment through western union , i will require the following details from you
:
1. Sender's name and address (your full name and address used in wiring the funds)
2. Reciever's name
3. Mtcn (money transfer control number).
4. Test question and answer
5. Total Amount sent..........
6. A scanned copy of the western union

Then I went to bank and cash out the money order, I was able to cash out the money, but based on my understand, I have to wait the money order clear, if not, I have to take responsible for a fraud money order. PersonA keep calling me to use Western Union to send money to his client in NIGERIA. Since my cell phone had caller ID, I found out that he was using different phone numbers to call me and when I tried to redial those numbers, the phone company said the number is not exist.

At this moment, I am holding those money in hand. What should I do? Thanks for reading and any suggestion.

 

[1911]

this is a old scam. you will cash the money order and send the scammer the 3500 difference and then you will be contacted by your bank that the money order was a fraud. tell the guy in the email you will mail the money order back to him and that you are going to sell your item to someone locally.
i really hate scammers


ooops i see that you already cashed it. well tell him that the bank called and said the money order was a fake because you will be getting that call soon. good luck

 

[kevin gilmore]

You can be absolutely guaranteed that the money order is fake.

It may take your bank up to 6 weeks to figure out that it is fake.
At which time you are responsible for the money order.

Don't send any money to anyone unless you have it to loose.

 

[Jahn]

Uncledan, do a search on NIGERIA here. This scam has been reported MANY times here. DO NOT SEND THE MONEY!

 

[1911]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn Uncledan, do a search on NIGERIA here. This scam has been reported MANY times here. DO NOT SEND THE MONEY!

i wonder if the scammers are actually nigerian or is that country getting a undeserved reputation since so little else is associated with nigeria.

 

[MintGreenGoblin]

You can read about this particular scam here http://www.419legal.org/viewtopic.php?t=643

 

[Uncledan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn Uncledan, do a search on NIGERIA here. This scam has been reported MANY times here. DO NOT SEND THE MONEY!

THANKS, I just did a search. Man, I should come here more often. What should I do now? I already cash out the money? should I report to police or bank?

 

[MrSlacker]

I am not sure how it works, but i would just leave the cash in a safe place and when bank calls tell them that you didnt know and will be glad to return their money ASAP.

 

[Uncledan]

Bank is useless, they have no idea the money order is real or not. When I asked them: "how do you know the money order is real?" this morning, they said they have to send the money order back to US in order to confirm.

Man, I am stupid, I should not cash out the money order, this cause many troubles.

 

[mulveling]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrSlacker I am not sure how it works, but i would just leave the cash in a safe place and when bank calls tell them that you didnt know and will be glad to return their money ASAP.

Sounds like bad idea to me. You need to be proactive about this right NOW and let the police/bank know that you were previously ignorant to the fact that the money order was bogus. You don't want them thinking you were involved in any way in the creation of that fake money order. Hopefully they will be understanding once you explain the whole story.

Unfortunately you fell too deep into this scam - at best, it will cost you a little time and hassle. Fortunately those bastards won't be getting the money.

That money is a big liability. The sooner it gets returned to the bank, the better. What if your place is robbed before you get this all cleared up? What about a fire?

 

[mulveling]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncledan Bank is useless, they have no idea the money order is real or not. When I asked them: "how do you know the money order is real?" this morning, they said they have to send the money order back to US in order to confirm. Man, I am stupid, I should not cash out the money order, this cause many troubles.

You don't need to ask them if it's real. It's not. You need to tell them it's fake (with explanation of course).

 

[MintGreenGoblin]

You need to go to the police right away. Tell them that some freinds clued you in that you may be the victim of a scam. Also contact the bank, after you have contacted the police and have a case number. It may not be to late for them to stop the money order. Of course, you will have to return the money. Then you need to contact 419legal which is a special department of the South African police that works with these kinds of crimes. If you have contact info, they will want it. Most of that stuff is fake names, fake IDs ect...but theres a chance, albeit a slim one, that the people who did this to you can be charged. Best of luck, be proactive, because this isnt going to go away on its own.

 

[Uncledan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mulveling That money is a big liability. The sooner it gets returned to the bank, the better. What if your place is robbed before you get this all cleared up? What about a fire?

Man, I am so upset, since it is my second time get into this kind of scam, my first experience was with williamgoody.

(what's a old story)

And I agree, I will report to bank tomorrow morning.

 

[Oink1]

Remember the P-P-P Powerbook scam? Fake money order to Nigeria anyone?

 

[Elec]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mulveling Sounds like bad idea to me. You need to be proactive about this right NOW and let the police/bank know that you were previously ignorant to the fact that the money order was bogus. You don't want them thinking you were involved in any way in the creation of that fake money order. Hopefully they will be understanding once you explain the whole story.

For sure! That was the usual double whammy on this kind of scam. You either send back a chunk of money or ship your item over to this person after cashing the bogus money order or cashier's check. In a few weeks when the bank discovers it's fake, they come bust YOU for trying to cash a fake check/money order. Then on top of that, you're out the money or item you've sent to the scammer because they're in a foreign country and have disappeared by then.