I don't know who is dumb enough to fall for this stuff, but apparently they're out there because the scammers wouldn't do it if it didn't work...
Fraudulent Check, Wire Transfer and Other Money Scams
Recently several St. Mary’s County citizens have received checks in the mail along with a letter notifying the citizen they are a winner of a lottery or receiver of some sort of funds. The letters have originated from outside the United States. The citizen is asked to deposit the check into their account and send cash, via a money wire transfer, for a portion of the money to pay the taxes and a service charge. The wire transfers are sent to a receiver in foreign country. If the citizen wires money out of the United States it cannot be recovered by any law enforcement agency, Postal Investigators or the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This type of scam often targets senior citizens or disabled people.
The Federal Trade Commission reports counterfeit or fake checks are being used in a variety of deceptive schemes to include the foreign lottery scam, which is what has recently been reported in St. Mary’s county. Other money schemes include: check over payment scams, internet auction scams, and secret shopper scams.
The check over payment scam target consumers selling cars and valuables through classified ads or online auction sites such as EBay and Craig’s List. Unsuspecting sellers become victims when the thief passes a bogus cashier’s check, corporate checks, or personal checks to pay for the item purchased. The scam artist replies to a classified ad or auction, offers to pay for the item with a check, and then comes up with a reason for writing the check for more than the purchase price. The purchaser/con artist asks the seller to wire back the difference after depositing the check. The seller does it and within a few days the check bounces which leaves seller liable for the entire amount.
In secret shopper scams, the victim is hired to be a “secret shopper”. The secret shopper is asked to evaluate the effectiveness of a money transfer service. The victim is given a check, told to deposit it in their bank account and withdraw the amount in cash. The victim is told to take the cash to a specified money transfer service and send the transfer to a person in another country. The victim is supposed to evaluate the experience and service but no one collects the evaluation and the victim is out of the cash.
Thief’s and con artists who use these schemes easily avoid detection. When funds are sent through wire a transfer services, the recipients can pick up the money at other locations within the same country and it is nearly impossible for the victim to identify or locate the recipient.
Sheriff Timothy Cameron and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office would like to offer a few suggestions to avoid being a victim.
1. Know who you are dealing with. Never wire money to strangers.
2. Never pay for a fee for a “free gift or prize”. If it is free then it is free.
3. Never enter a foreign lottery. The majority of foreign lotteries are fraudulent
4. Sellers using classified ads or online selling services may want to use a recognized escrow or online payment service such as Paypal.
5. If you are asked to wire back funds particularly to another country – end the transaction immediately.
If you have been contacted and believe you are a target or the victim of one of these scams contact local law enforcement, Federal Trade Commission or the United States Postal Inspection Service.
For further information on these types of money/check scams visit:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre40.shtm
Fraudulent Check, Wire Transfer and Other Money Scams
Recently several St. Mary’s County citizens have received checks in the mail along with a letter notifying the citizen they are a winner of a lottery or receiver of some sort of funds. The letters have originated from outside the United States. The citizen is asked to deposit the check into their account and send cash, via a money wire transfer, for a portion of the money to pay the taxes and a service charge. The wire transfers are sent to a receiver in foreign country. If the citizen wires money out of the United States it cannot be recovered by any law enforcement agency, Postal Investigators or the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This type of scam often targets senior citizens or disabled people.
The Federal Trade Commission reports counterfeit or fake checks are being used in a variety of deceptive schemes to include the foreign lottery scam, which is what has recently been reported in St. Mary’s county. Other money schemes include: check over payment scams, internet auction scams, and secret shopper scams.
The check over payment scam target consumers selling cars and valuables through classified ads or online auction sites such as EBay and Craig’s List. Unsuspecting sellers become victims when the thief passes a bogus cashier’s check, corporate checks, or personal checks to pay for the item purchased. The scam artist replies to a classified ad or auction, offers to pay for the item with a check, and then comes up with a reason for writing the check for more than the purchase price. The purchaser/con artist asks the seller to wire back the difference after depositing the check. The seller does it and within a few days the check bounces which leaves seller liable for the entire amount.
In secret shopper scams, the victim is hired to be a “secret shopper”. The secret shopper is asked to evaluate the effectiveness of a money transfer service. The victim is given a check, told to deposit it in their bank account and withdraw the amount in cash. The victim is told to take the cash to a specified money transfer service and send the transfer to a person in another country. The victim is supposed to evaluate the experience and service but no one collects the evaluation and the victim is out of the cash.
Thief’s and con artists who use these schemes easily avoid detection. When funds are sent through wire a transfer services, the recipients can pick up the money at other locations within the same country and it is nearly impossible for the victim to identify or locate the recipient.
Sheriff Timothy Cameron and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office would like to offer a few suggestions to avoid being a victim.
1. Know who you are dealing with. Never wire money to strangers.
2. Never pay for a fee for a “free gift or prize”. If it is free then it is free.
3. Never enter a foreign lottery. The majority of foreign lotteries are fraudulent
4. Sellers using classified ads or online selling services may want to use a recognized escrow or online payment service such as Paypal.
5. If you are asked to wire back funds particularly to another country – end the transaction immediately.
If you have been contacted and believe you are a target or the victim of one of these scams contact local law enforcement, Federal Trade Commission or the United States Postal Inspection Service.
For further information on these types of money/check scams visit:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre40.shtm
