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 Post subject: Postal Money Order Scam..I was wrongfully arrested
PostPosted: Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:37 am 
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Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 8:56 am
Posts: 28
Location: Columbus, IN
I recieved postal money orders for artwork i had for sale on yahoo. I had recently within the week learned that two cashier checks came back counterfeit from the bank..who informed me of why there was a 10 day hold..they explained why and what was going on..thank heavens after reading what others have experienced with there bank...so i was starting to catch on that something was going on with scams...i then got a payment on the form of Postal money orders and it was for more then the amount of the sale..i immediately thought here we go! i called the USPS and they told me i needed to take them to my local post office and they could verify them and look into it. So i took the envelope it came in with the five one thousand pmo's and a copy of my last email with this person who sent them. I explained to the post office i had recently had two cashier checks that were counterfeit and given this sell is for more then the amount i was suspicious ect..they checked them and brought them back to the front and told me they were legal and real..i was shocked and asked are you sure?? i then came to the conclusion this person was either interested in more artwork or commissioned work or was going to ask for a refund...the post office said they did not have enough to cash at least one of them and to go to a larger post office..i did...before going i called and spoke to a fellow at the other post office and explained i just came for my local post office and what had happened and why i needed to come there..wanted tomake sure they could cash one or two..i really needed my money and put three of the postal money orders in the bank...i had no intentions of refunding her money because now it was looking like maybe this was money laundering...all the money would indeed have to be refunded through artwork in my eyes..she never mentioned sending me additional money...he said they could so i went there....when i got there i was questioned and then arrested because the guy at the post office i spoke wiht on the phone said i stated i won them on the internet...they said i changed my story...believe it or not this really happened...i have the auction and every email involving this transaction and stated that...i indicated i had done been to the first post office and call them because i had done went through the verification process with them and stated i was concerned they were counterfeit...they never called them...this happened on nov 9th of last year2004! i was in jail for until the following evening and my husband bailed me out...i was charged with forgery...i am now fighting these charges and struggling to pay a lawyer to defend me....that night they even did a home search and took my computer when i was arrested...now we have all the paperwork from the prosecutor which is nothing but rehashing the events...nothing about my home or computer findings....no sworn statements from the first post office...they took sworn statements from the one that i was arrested at though...that day this happened i had my 6yr and 3yr with me..my husband finally got them at midnight that night and this started at 4pm that day. I can not believe the money and stress this has put on my family..they have destroyed my life and i was just crying when i came across this forum....its just something i don't tell many people about because they don't believe you...they look at you like no way!!! as if there is more your not telling them...who would believe it if a person doesn't know you!

my heart just goes out to all of you who have suffered because this is out of control...they never checked my emails..said they don't do emails....they never contacted the first post office...have not responded to my lawyer about home or computer findings when they searched...i just can't believe this..and i went into the first post office explaining i believed these were counterfeit!! when i hear of folks who say take it to the post office..that is postal money orders and have them check it out because its fishy..i cringe as you can see why....they just may find themselves in jail.....and recourse for false arrest ect...i have been told that government workers have immunities that protect them..no matter how right or wrong they are...now my lawyer is getting our own sworn statement from the first post office...praying they tell the truth...that i reported these as suspicious and they told me they checked out and were legit...
I spend my time so upset anymore...i have pretrial monday and my trial date is in Aug.....and i have done nothing wrong or have ever been in trouble in my life!!! I do wax paintings and paint angels!!!! instead now i spend my time digging up money to pay to defend myself against Forgery!!

Angel Hugs to everyone here!

_________________
DeAnna Vidoloff
http://www.originalwaxpaintings.com


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Apr 21, 2005 10:49 am 
Once your out of this trouble . I would go after the fool who made the false claime against you .


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Apr 21, 2005 11:19 am 
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Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 8:56 am
Posts: 28
Location: Columbus, IN
the person who did this is part of the nigerian scam! I want to go after the first post office for telling me they were legit when i reported them and then learn at the second post office there were not...the second post office for their part (the worker i spoke to on the phone who stated i said i won them on the internet)...their statement shows they called the postal inspector before i got off the phone and went there!! yeah!! but given my supposed statement of winning the postal money orders on the internet which i didn't state..that is so stupid...but the point being why didn't they call my post office..the one i stated and they stated in their sworn statement i said i had just came from...and i hold the police department and the postal inspector responsible...yet i am told i am fighting a losing battle because federal workers have protective ammunities no matter how wrong they are...i am out so far almost $5000 in legal fees and the bill is still raking up...they have nothing to carry this charge with..but they are?????

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DeAnna Vidoloff
http://www.originalwaxpaintings.com


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2005 9:06 am 
That was who I was talking about . The person in the post office . Go after him for defamation .


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2005 1:40 pm 
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Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2004 12:18 pm
Posts: 248
Hi DeAnna, I am so sorry this has happened, but know that you are not the first and won't be the last. The best thing to do is make sure you have all of your evidence gathered and contact Annie at fraudaid.com. The good news is it sounds like you did not send any money to these fools and your name just needs to be cleared. I am not trying to make light of the situation, but it could be worse. Have you talked ot the Secret Servce? They are more aware of these scams than the local police, especially if you are in a small town. Also start getting your word out to the media about what happened, hopefully someone will pick up on your story and embarrass the local post master/ authorities.... enough to drop the charges.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Apr 23, 2005 9:16 am 
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Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 8:56 am
Posts: 28
Location: Columbus, IN
To be honest i wish i was only scammed out of my artwork. I am in for over $7500 in bail out fees and legal representation..if it goes to trial i will be out another 10,000 to 15,000!!!! I have been told they could take this to trial if they wish...no matter if they have no evidence..which they don't. Its hard to believe the legal system can get away with this!! no grounds or foundation!! I go to pretrial monday where the prosecutor will then have to be answering to questions of grounds and foundation to do what they did! he has provided nothing so far in request from my lawyer other then providing a police report and two sworn statements from the second post office..nothing was provided on my home search or computer..or the first post office where i was reporting these as suspicious and needed them checked out...where i was told they were legit and handed back to me and was told to go to a larger post office who could cash them given the limitation of funds they had at that time. My lawyer and i are meeting with this clerk at the first post office next week. I thought it was this one employee that my lawyer spoke with but she was on leave that week but told my lawyer she thought she knew who it was and this person got in alot of hot water for some postal money orders she got at her counter So see..they know just by that what happened..so why hasn't the prosecutor provided sworn statements from the first post office i went to?

ya know the scammers are scamming people..but the authorities are scamming innocent victims....this is a joke!

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DeAnna Vidoloff
http://www.originalwaxpaintings.com


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 5:51 pm 
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Moderator

Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 7:21 pm
Posts: 1249
This will help your attorney greatly: First of all they have to prove Intent to Defraud, meaning that YOU yourself intended on defrauding someone. OR they have to prove you made the stupid money orders which you did not, you have I hope the envelope they came in to prove that they were sent to you. Shoot the postal inspector of all people should know about this scam they get hit all the time with bad money orders. What morons that they couldnt spot the warning signs that you might be an intended victim NOT the perpetrator.

There is something called Discovery that your attorney can pull, this allows him or her to have copies of every piece of documentation used as evidence, as well as copies of all reports and statements made by you to any law enforcement official.

From here on out if anyone asks you anything about your case and they are a cop or detective, you say I am sorry without my atty present I respectfully decline to respond. You do have the right to remain silent.

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Silence is a thief's best friend, Word-of-mouth is his worst enemy. Pass the word! brought to you by Fraudaid.com where victims always get FREE help.


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 Post subject: we victim of the cashier check scam too!!
PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 7:40 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 7:25 pm
Posts: 2
Location: Oquawka illinois
We were also victim of the counterfeit cashier's check fraud scam. We lost everyhting! We had been with our bank for over 20 years and they cash the check, then 10 days later demanded $10,000 dollars, frozed all of our accounts and ruined our life. We would like to hear from other victims that used western union to transfer the money back to the scam artists, we would like to become a group of victims to sue the western union who knew and are aware of this scam, but still continue to help this money get transfered to the scam artist and make all of us victims. And profit off our losses.

_________________
I am looking for anyone that was a victim of the conterfiet check scam.Please email my address.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 11:30 pm 
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Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 8:56 am
Posts: 28
Location: Columbus, IN
yes i kept everything...the envelope..all the emails..the auction it was purchased from..everything!
Lawence i was initially with the first two given cashier checks..but the first i deposited and the bank explained why it had to sit for ten days because of the counterfeiting..i was lucky there..the second one wanted to send more money then the sell and wanted money refunded to a agent....i declined on the transaction in fear of money laundering...by that time the first one didn't clear and then all of a sudden i got this payment for the transaction i declined...turned it over to the bank..it was bad which i expected...the third one was postal money orders...didn't know there was a problem until i got them and they were for more then the amount..that is when i reported them to the post office..who said they were good..it was the postal money orders that caused me this problem...i have done one transaction with western union and had no problem...but i know the authorities told me to not do any transactions with western union when this happened with the postal money orders when i asked what safe options were left if cashier checks, postal money orders were now obviously not safe....they told me if i accept postal money orders or cashier checks to take them to the local post office or bank...can you imagine how i wanted to smack the federal postal inspector...gee that is exactly what i did and i got arrrested!! LOL...but western union was a big no no in there eyes.....western union must be feeling some heat though because i have noticed they recommend that western union not be used to do transactions for auctions or anyone you don't know...that it should be used only with someone you know like family transactions ect..so they must be feeling some heat!!!
sorry about your lose and its just sad the way soo many have suffered because of banks, post offices and places such as fedex and western union..my heart goes out to everyone...
got pretrial tom and so tired so i hope i don't have too many typos as my nerves are shoot and my stomach is soo upset awaiting tomorrows pretrial hearing..will let everyone know what i find out!

Angel Hugs!!

_________________
DeAnna Vidoloff
http://www.originalwaxpaintings.com


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 Post subject: Re: we victim of the cashier check scam too!!
PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 12:12 pm 
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Site Admin/Co-Founder

Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 10:09 pm
Posts: 2921
lawrence Mcbride wrote:
We would like to hear from other victims that used western union to transfer the money back to the scam artists, we would like to become a group of victims to sue the western union


You came to the right place . . . most of the people here, including myself, were victims of this scam at one time. As for the class action lawsuit, we have tried that a couple of times but have not found a law firm that is willing to take on the case.

_________________
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of http://ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!

Share your story with the media and educate others about scams! Details here http://scamvictimsunited.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=6319
Sign our petition http://www.change.org/actions/view/crea ... s_programs
Follow our blog http://scamvictimsunited.wordpress.com/
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
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 Post subject: banding together is the only way to win.
PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 7:46 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 7:25 pm
Posts: 2
Location: Oquawka illinois
We just need to band together, there are so many victims out there and I think if we would band together we could find a law firm to take the case.
There are all different types of law suit that are minor compared to this one which effects so many across the world. Nobody thought we could get heard, but we made every television station, and newspaper and got the word out!!! So all we ask is for anyone who will email us and contact us so that we can get everyone on the same track to make the system aware and so that they will listen to us. So at least fighting a big company like Western Union , might just get someone to listen!!


Victims do count and in these numbers of scam victims I really feel we have a case!!!!

Be heard Contact Valarie & Larry McBride Victims too, to the sum of a $10,000 loss that ruined us,but which has also made us stronger!!!

_________________
I am looking for anyone that was a victim of the conterfiet check scam.Please email my address.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 6:51 am 
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Site Admin/Co-Founder

Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 10:09 pm
Posts: 2921
We have tried the class-action lawsuit thing several times, and we have never been able to find a firm that would be willing to take the case. Do you know of a firm who wants to accept the challenge?

_________________
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of http://ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!

Share your story with the media and educate others about scams! Details here http://scamvictimsunited.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=6319
Sign our petition http://www.change.org/actions/view/crea ... s_programs
Follow our blog http://scamvictimsunited.wordpress.com/
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
_______________________________________________
Has this site helped you?
Buy us a coffee to say thanks ~ http://www.scamvictimsunited.com/donations.htm


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed May 04, 2005 1:54 am 
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Joined: Tue May 03, 2005 11:55 pm
Posts: 3
Deanna, words cannot express how sorry I am for your plight. I have fallen victim to a Nigerian scam also, and I'm at a point whereby I'm not sure what my next steps to take should be.
Basically I was contacted by a character who saw an ad of mine on a personals website. She claimed to be an American who is working in Nigeria as a model, but told me that she was working on contract and that her company paid her in the form of cheques and postal money orders. At first I had no clue or knowledge of such fraudsters and scammers out there who walk on this planet, but I made it clear to this person that I was not interested in a relationship with anyone who lived outside of my city area, and especially in another country, but that I'd still be open for penpal and online friendship. She agreed and even gave me her contact number (cellphone), and I gave her mine. I thought everything was still innocent, and we also exchanged mailing addresses.
A while later, she asked of me a big favor which was to cash her next upcoming money orders for her such that they would be written out to me. At first I was wondering, why would this person trust me with money orders that should really be written out to her for her work... I even asked her and she gave me some reason that when she read about me, she knew that I was the kind of person to nlove and trust... or some excuse like that. Anyway I got four money orders for $950 each, adding up to a total of $3800. I went ahead and deposited them into my account. It was after I made that deposit that I kept wondering, that all this was just way too easy. After doing a search online, I came to learn more about these Nigerian scams, but it was too early to tell if this was a scam or not, although this person really displayed many characteristics of ebing a scammer (example, saying that she desperately needed her money to pay bills, rushing meto withdraw the mney and western union it to her so called travel agent and hotel manager, etc.) I became worried and immediately called my bank's customer service and asked questions regarding how long it would take for cheques or money orders to be cleared and verified as valid. The representative told me that this process for amoney order usually just takes about a week, and so I figured that I'd wait for more than a week to see if that money order would come up as returned or fradulent. No such thing happened, and so I went right ahead to send that money out via western union.
Since nothing happened, I developed a level of trust in that person. About a month later, I received a cheque in the mail for $4700. The perpetrator told me that that cheque was her next payment and that she wanted me to deposit it in and send the mney to her via western union again. Since nothing happened (yet!) to the first deposit I made with the money orders, I deposited that cheque also, but I waited for some time to pass by just like I did the first time with the money orders. About five days later, the cheque came back to me as returned, and the $4700 amount that the cheque had was debited from my account. Fortunately, I never made any withdrawals since that deposit, so it was not like I had a negative statement in my account. And would you believe that the scammer had the audacity to rush me the entire time to withdraw the money andsend it to her? After that chequq got returned, I finally told this person that I no longer want to receive anymore cheques or money orders from her. She went even further to tell me that it's either me or her company that is trying to steal her money (how could she!) In the end she madeup some bogus story that it was her company that was trying to scam her and that she wants to come to the United States to meet me and that we could sue her company for trying to rip us both off. Immediately I figured that she's lying.
Well, the upsetting news came to me two weeks later when I got a letter from my bank in the mail (on last Saturday) that the amount of $3800 for the postal money orders got returned, and I found out that I have a huge negative balance on my bank statement. My heat was racing wildly and I almost passed out. I am still traumatized by this. When I told my mother what had happened, she obviously flipped out on me, but agreed to help me financially. My father doesn't know of any of this yet, and I know that he will find out about this soon. That Monday, I deposited the appropriate sum of money to cover my negative bank statement, and I tried to take immediate action. I tried to file a fraud claim with the bank, but was told that the bank do not file fraud claims of that nature. I was advised to make a report with the police, and even that turned out to be unsuccesful. The police told me that this was a civil court issue and that they could not file this as a report, and another officer also had me even more traumatized that I could get arrested for for this since even though I was scammed, I also was a middleman in the whole fraud scheme.
I'm trying to obtain legal advice right now as of this moment. I haven't gotten the money orders returned to me yet in the mail, but I can bet my
bottom dollar that those money orders are fraudulent, since the bank also told me that the $4700 cheque came back returned as fraudulent too.
Hence so far, the only thing I was able to accomplish was cover the negative balance in my bank account, and I have not been able to file any fraud case or report. I am also afraid to contact any other authorities because I am afraid that everyone would just end up pointing fingers at me, just like they are doing to you, Deanna. I'm really sorry for the situation that you're in, and I do believe that there need to be more rights for people like us, especially when it comes to cashing any form of cheques or money orders. There should be ways in which we could truly verify the authenticity of cheques or money orders that are issued to us. I only wish I knew better before. What I'm unfamilar with my situation is, why should it take so long for a cheque or money order to come back as unpaid? I was told by my bank that I could wait for at least a week so that I could know that a cheque or money order would be fully verified. Obviously I was given the wrong information.
That scammer is now asking me to send her $1800 so that she could pay for her hotel bills before she comes to the US, despite the fact that she knows that I have been ripped off by her, and that I am already in a state of crisis. Maybe she's angry that she did not get any money from the $4700 bogus cheque that I had been duped to deposit. Those scammers are completely heartless, have no conscience and it's pointless in trying to figure them out.
I only hope now that my bank could understand my situation and that I have paid all the expenses for the cheques that I have been ripped out of. I would hope that this does not result in any charges against me.
I hope to know more of the outcome of your situation, and of course if there was anything I could do to help, I would be more than willing to help out.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon May 09, 2005 12:14 pm 
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Site Admin/Co-Founder

Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 10:09 pm
Posts: 2921
wolverine947 wrote:
I have fallen victim to a Nigerian scam also, and I'm at a point whereby I'm not sure what my next steps to take should be.
.



Write a letter/summary of what happened to you (you can view mine at http://scamvictimsunited.com/our_story.htm )

Then go to http://scamvictimsunited.com/resources_ ... _check.htm and send that letter to every place on that list. I would also suggest sending that letter to the media to try and get even more attention to this scam and your case.

_________________
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of http://ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!

Share your story with the media and educate others about scams! Details here http://scamvictimsunited.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=6319
Sign our petition http://www.change.org/actions/view/crea ... s_programs
Follow our blog http://scamvictimsunited.wordpress.com/
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
_______________________________________________
Has this site helped you?
Buy us a coffee to say thanks ~ http://www.scamvictimsunited.com/donations.htm


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 Post subject: you saved me!!
PostPosted: Fri May 13, 2005 8:43 pm 
I just received a $5,000 cashiers check in the mail - for a room I am renting at $120 per week! I felt all along that this was a scam. I just never expected to receive a cashiers check.

The premise was this guy's son was going to need the place to stay and he wanted to pre-pay for a year. I was not eager to accept a roommate without meeting him first, but I played along.

It was interesting when, out of the blue, there began talk of wiring money to his son, or his "client" or "agent - there have been so many different stories. I have been skeptical from the beginning.

Today, when I received the check, I figured it was still a scam, but I was curious how it works. I did a search and found this forum. I am glad I did!

I was going to tread carefully, but now I am not even going to do a thing. They have an email address and a P O Box (glad I never gave out my home address). Let them expend their energy! I feel sufficiently insulated and forewarned.

At one point I thought I would deposit the money and not touch it. Now, I know better than to do that.

Deanna, I read your story about getting arrested, and my hear goes out to you. I am going to buy some artwork from your web site to show my support. (Lol...don't worry - I'll pay with PayPal!!!)

In fact, I feel bad for each and every one of you who have fallen victim to these bastards. I am only grateful that you were here for me to get some understanding before I did anything stupid.

Thanks for sharing your tragic stories and for preventing one for me!


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