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The Cashiers Check Scam
You have probably heard of this one where some guy puts something up for sale and along comes a cashiers check from a gentleman made out for “x” amount over the asking price. The honest seller contacts the buyer and tells him the check is written for more money than the asking price. The nice gentleman says,“sorry about that, just send me back a cashiers check for the difference and thanks.” The seller does just that and a few days later his bank contacts him telling him the check he deposited a few days ago was bogus! Can you believe this happens frequently?
I advertised my motor home a few years ago on the internet and started getting E-mails from several foreign countries. This got me to thinking about how to handle the transaction as I used to believe that a cashiers check was golden. So I asked my bank about it and they told me with modern printers etc. counterfeit cashiers checks were common. They informed me the only way to go was to wire the money electronically. Big problem here is you have to give the other party your routing and account numbers. I could see ID theft in the making and decided to take a different approach. Here is what I did
I opened a new savings account, had the money wired from the buyers bank as I was standing at my banks terminal. The money was verified before I released the title. We then transferred the money from the new account into the old account and canceled the new one.
ID Theft
Here is the Federal Trade Commissions explanation of identity theft.
“How can someone steal your identity? Identity
theft occurs when someone uses your personal
information such as your name, Social Security
number, credit card number or other identifying
information, without your permission to commit
fraud or other crimes.
Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose
identities have been stolen can spend months or
years - and their hard-earned money - cleaning up
the mess thieves have made of their good name and
credit record. In the meantime, victims may lose
job opportunities, be refused loans, education,
housing or cars, or even get arrested for crimes
they didn't commit.”
The Federal Trade Commission has a great web site on this issue at .www.consumer.gov/idtheft
Your Check Is In The Mail.--Right?
If you saw the movie Catch Me If You Can, you may remember how the thief did something with checks to change everything except the original signature. Here is how it works. You put your signed check in your mail box to pay a bill, just like always. Except this time someone gets your check and pastes a piece of cellophane tape over the front and back of your signature. Then he or she places your check in a pan of nail polish remover (containing acetone) for about 30 minutes. This lifts anything that is not printers ink, except for your tape protected signature. It is then blow dried and flattened in a book, the tape is carefully removed and guess what? He or she has a blank check signed by you! Look out bank account!
Only one type of ink will protect you from this scam and that is the kind found in gel pens. Frank Abagnale who was the real thief, and now consults for law enforcement and corporations recommends the uni-ball Gel Impact pen. Cost about $2.00 at any office supply store. He also suggest you use this for contracts and other important documents. I for one will take his advice
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Car Jackers New Scheme
You walk across the parking lot, unlock your car and get inside. Then you lock all of your doors, start the engine and shift into reverse. When you look into the rear view mirror to back out of your parking space you notice a piece of paper stuck to the middle of the rear window. So you shift into park, unlock your doors and hop out of your vehicle to remove that paper (or whatever it is) that is obstructing your view. More than likely you left the engine running and your purse on the seat, if you are a lady. As you reach for the piece of paper your car speeds away. Could ruin your entire day!
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Watch out for this scam!
Scenario--
A ladie was approached by 2 men and 2 women in a car. The man that was
driving asked her 'What kind of perfume do you wear?' She was a bit confused and asked him 'Why?' He said, 'We are selling some name brand perfumes, at cheap prices.' She said she had no money.
He then reached out of the car and handed her a paper that was laminated; it had many perfumes on it. She looked quickly at it and gave it back. She said, “I have no money.” He said it is OK, we take check, cash, or credit cards. Then the people in the car began to laugh.
She just got in her car and said no thanks. Then she received this e-mail
yesterday and it sent chills up my spine. Please read this. It is no joke. Here is the e-mail.
Dear Friends:
I know not all of you are women that I am sending this to, but I am
hoping you will share this with your wives, daughters, mothers,
sisters, etc. Our world seems to be getting crazier by the day. Pipe
bombs in mailboxes and sickos in parking lots with perfume. Be careful.
I was approached yesterday afternoon around 5:30 PM in the Walmart parking lot by two males asking what kind of perfume I was wearing. Then they asked if I'd like to sample some fabulous scent they were willing to sell me at a very reasonable rate. I probably would have agreed had I not received an e-mail
warning of a "Want to smell this neat perfume?" scam.
The men continued to stand between parked cars, I guess to wait for someone else to hit on. I stopped a lady going towards them, pointing at them and told her about how I was sent an e-mail at work about someone walking up to you at the malls or
in parking lots and asking you to SNIFF PERFUME
that they are selling at a cheap price.
THIS IS NOT PERFUME...IT IS ETHER!
When you sniff it, you'll pass out. They'll take your wallet, your
valuables and heaven knows what else.
PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO ALL YOUR WOMEN FRIENDS AND PLEASE BE ALERT
AND BE AWARE. IF YOU ARE A MAN AND RECEIVE THIS, PASS IT ON TO YOUR WOMEN FRIENDS.
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Mobile Phone Information
- Since we all have cell phones I thought this is well worth passing on.
Here is something worth knowing if you have a mobile phone .
If you have ever lost, or had one stolen, and if you are on a plan, you still have to pay the plan approximately up to 24 months, and you have to buy another handset and enter into another contract. This is more revenue for the phone company.
There is a simple way of making lost or stolen mobiles useless to
thieves and the phone companies know about it, but keep it quiet.
To check your mobile phone's serial number, key in the following on your phone:
star-hash-zero-six-hash ( * # 0 6 # ) and a fifteen digit code will
appear on the screen. This is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it safe. Should your mobile phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset, so even if the thief changes the sim card, your phone will be totally useless.
You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody did this, there would be no point in stealing mobile phones.
You may want to send this to as many people with mobiles as possible.
No charge for directory assistance
Phone companies are charging us $1.00 or more for 411 - information calls.
When you need to use the 411 / information option! Simply dial 1-800-FREE-411 or 1 800 373 3411 without incurring a charge.
This is information people don't mind receiving -
Pass it on. Works on home phones and cellphones
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You Dropped This Scam
You get into your car and lock the door as usual. Someone approaches your window and waves a $xx dollar bill stating, “ you dropped this!” Even if the person is dressed nicely and looks ok DO NOT OPEN YOUR WINDOW OR DOOR. This could be a trick.
Get out of there as fast as you can.
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JURY DUTY SCAM: This has been verified by the FBI (their link is also included below).
WARNING
If you receive a call from someone identifying themselves as an officer of the court claiming you have a warrant out for your arrest.Charge is not showing up for jury duty, Hang up the phone. It's a scam.There has been a resurgence in jury scams lately in a dozen states. Keep in mindthat court officers never ask for personal confidential information over the phoneUnless you receive something via mail, consider the call a scam and just anothertrick to relieve of your hard earned cash.
Most of us take summons >>> for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty that >>> a new and ominous kind of scam has surfaced. The caller claims to be a >>> jury coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth, so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo; your identity just >>> got stolen.
The scam has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma, Illinois, and Colorado. This (scam) is particularly insidious because >>> they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they're with the court system. The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud. Check it out here:
http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm
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Email scams
Seems like a new approach appears frequently. This one is a little bit different.
Greetings,
I am sure this mail would be coming to you as a surprise since we have
never met before and you would also be asking why I have decided to chose
you amongst the numerous internet users in the world,precisely I cannot
say why I have chosen you but do not be worried for I come in peace and
something very positive is about to happen to your life right now and to
the lives of others through you, if only you can carefully read and digest
the message below. Permit me to give you a little of my biography,I am
Mother XXXXX XXXXXX, 86 Years old woman.
After the death of my husband I became the Head of his investment and now
that I am old and weak and need to rest with my friends and family. Before
the death of my husband we had a plan to use the last days of our lives to
donate half of what we have worked for to the less privilege and charity
homes and the other half for our family, its unfortunate that my husband
is not alive today to do this with me. Hence I have decided to do this
philanthropic work on behalf of my late husband and I.
Despite the agreement between my late husband and I to give aid to the
deprived, we also agreed to render support to an individual we have not
meet before in life due to the fact when we were still young in life we
receive an anonymous help from an individual we did not know and which we
have not being able to know till date, the impact we got from such gesture
made us to do same. I am sorry to inform you that you will never have the
chance to know me because I have just concluded the assignment which my
husband and I have agreed upon before his sudden death and you happened to
be the beneficiary of our last WILL, irrespective of your previous
financial status, hence I need you to do me a favor by accepting our offer
that will cost you nothing.I have deposited a Cheque of £350,000.00 with
Sky Express Courier Service to deliver to you, You are to contact the Sky
Express Courier Service as soon as possible to know when they will
delivering your package to you due to expiring date. For your information,
I have paid for the delivering Charge and Insurance premium Fee of the
Cheque.
Below is their contact for them to arrange delivery of your cheque;
Contact Person: Mr. XXXX XXXXXXX
Email Address: Removed
Phone: +44 703 XXX XXXX
For your information, I have paid for the delivering Charge and Insurance
premium Fee of the Cheque.
Again, you are not to pay for the delivering Charges and Insurance premium
Fee of the Cheque because I have already paid for them, the only money you
are expected to pay is $490.00 for the security keeping of the cheque so
far. I would have paid the fee but the company insisted that I should not
because they don't know when you will be contacting them and to avoid
demurrage or further cost. You are to reconfirm these code to them
SCTxxxxx to avoid any mistake on the Delivery and ask them to give you
the tracking number to enable you track your package over there and know
when it will get to your address; You are to provide to them;
Full Names:
Postal Address:
Direct telephone number/Mobile number:
Security Keeping Code: SCT0XXXXX
Note: Please I do not want you to thank me, all I need you to do is to
invest wisely with it this is the only way this world would be a better
community if we render selfless services to one another.All further
correspondence should be forwarded to the courier company for the delivery
of your cheque to you.
Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. xxxxx xxxxxx
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