HEADS UP: BAD CASHIER'S CHECK

[Pinardi]

Got an email a few days saying they would take a rather pricey lure I have for sale, and would send a Cashier's Check. Did not respond to several email requests from me asking for an address. Got the cashier's check today and took it to the issuing bank (Regions). It wasn't even close to their cashier's check in color or appearance. The check was for $12,500 more than I was asking, and the odds are he would have asked me to ship the lure and my cashier's check to refund the overpayment. Heads up!

[Don Champion]

What did they think? That you just fell off the turnip truck?

[Pinardi]

Going to give it to the Sheriff to see if he does anything. Norm

[Rick H]

Thanks Norm! Geez...seems the crooks, are getting dumber every day!

[fishbugman]

That scam has been going on for years and years...and is one of the biggest reasons EBAY changed their payment options away from all paper methods.

The amazing thing is that it must work fairly well, as the cashiers checks are mailed out by legitimate FedEx overnight service which isn't cheap. I received one about 5 years ago for some junk I was selling on Craigslist...deposited it into my bank account with no intentions of sending items or the cashiers check for balance until it had well cleared. About a week later, my bank contacted me to inform me that it was conterfeit and that the Feds would contact me for more information on where the original bogus cashiers check came from. I had the FedEx envelope with originating address, name of sender and phone number handy for them, but am still waiting patiently for Feds to contact me.

[Rick H]

LOL...Richard, those "Feds" are Gov't employees (no offense Deke). It'll be awhile!

[drexelantiques]

I think it is the Secret Service that handles this, it is low priority for them as the scam is so widespread. Selling antiques and collectibles online for many years I have received dozens of these fake cashier's checks. Some completely unsolicited. I had one $1200 item up for sale, one of a kind, received a cashier's check for 45 of this item. I have also received fake cashier's checks $3000 higher than a $39 item, asking me to send the difference Western Union to Russia as a "Wedding Present" for his "daughter". Enough folks must fall for these to make it worthwhile for these scammers to do this. The one time I had contact with a Secret Service agent in another matter (counterfeit bills I had received), he told me this was a low priority for them.

A local jeweler received one of these fake checks for a watch he sold on eBay. He sent the extra money to Georgia (ex Soviet Georgia), shipped the watch using the FedEx account number the scammer provided. Thought nothing about it until his bank bounced the $3500 fake check. Tried to stop the Western Union payment, but it had already been paid out.

To add insult to injury a few months later FedEx sent him a bill, turns out the FedEx account number was one either made up, or stolen, from a legit business. I think it was about $75 for international shipping, and customs clearance.

[waterbug]

I only accept USPS postal money orders... but I'm only dealing with a couple hundred dollars at a time... then you can cash them a the post office or deposit them in you acct's... pretty hard to counter-fit them... but dealing with larger amounts... well Paypal the only way...

[Tony Malatesta]

Hi Guys! The crooks are in fact getting smarter and more brazen.With the help of technology,everything is possible.Up here in Canada many of our largest retailers will only accept credit or debit cards and even the banks will no longer accept drafts or certified cheques without putting a 2 week hold on them.Seems that even the special stamps used by the banks themselves can now be reproduced.

[racoonbeast]

I have had this done to me three or four times. Good luck getting anyone interested. I have offered them to the Feds, to the US Postal Inspector, and my local and State Law Enforcement. No one was interstested enough to even look at them. Just told me to be careful.