According to some recent media reports, one way this kind of scam works is
that the "buyer" arranges for somebody to come hand you a bogus cashier's
check & pick up the item in person. Of course, the cashier's check doesn't
look bogus. From all appearances, the cashier's check handed over to you
is the real mccoy. Plus, the check amount is for several hundred dollars
more than your agreed selling price. So the "buyer" asks you to hand over
the item you're selling, plus change (in cash). The cash difference that
you hand over is claimed to be an amount that the "buyer" owes to the
person picking up the item, or possibly an amount necessary to pay for
shipping the item to some far away land. (The "buyer" says he'll handle
shipping himself, right?) On the surface it all seems semi-plausible. The
weenie is that by the time your bank discovers that the authentic-looking
cashier's check is bogus & charges you back for the full amount of the
bogus cashier's check, your item is gone without a trace & so are the
person who picked up your item & the extra cash you handed over. The scam
is possible only because USA bank procedures allow cashier's checks to be
paid before their authenticity can be ascertained. The bad guys not only
figured that out before the good guys could catch on, they also cooked up
scams to take advantage of that banking wrinkle. So beware.
-- Alan Cole, rank amateur
McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.
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At 10:40 AM 10/18/2003 +0100, you wrote:
I have just received this email regarding the horn I have for sale.
Remembering recent discussion concerning bogus buyers/sellers on the net,
I enclose verbatim, the email. Comments anyone? The emailer goes by the
name of Aaron Stone. Anyone heard of him?
"Hello,
My Name is Aaron........i view your advert on internet and i
contacted my client who is in need of this kind of your product.So he was
very excited about your product called Walter Moennig which is �1250,I
want it shipped to starford in Algeria,I'll arrange for the shipping
myself.Hope payment by a cashier's check will be ok.If this is alright
with you,do get back to me mmediately so I can arrange for the payment.
I await to hear from your response.
Thanks"
Many thanks,
Brian.
_______________________________________________
post: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
