Got a scamemer, Hoping to bait them into giving up something

darushin · **Joined:** Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:31 am **Posts:** 5

Hey all,

just registered cause I recently put up a ad for a roommate and got a nice e-mail from an Irish Girl wanting to rent. Well At first I was open, then I started to get suspicious after a few e-mails. So being that I am by trade a computer security expert, I decided to play this thing out to the end to see what is going on. Anyhow I am now to the point where the scammer has sent me a cashier's check for $3800. Luckily I have a Business account with my local bank so I can get the check verified for like $10. Once I get my Bank to verify it, I will then move onto having some fun. Anyhow here is the latest exchange of e-mails and the origional one

Quote:

Okay, thanks a great deal. Kindly let me know all the necessary information needed after you are through with the transaction tomorrow.

Looking forward to meet you soon.

Regards.

Benjamin wrote:
Hello,

Yes I did miss the UPS man today. Unfortunately by the time I got your e-mail I was already at the office as was anyone else who could have gotten the note up. I will ensure that it is picked up after hours or tomorrow on redeliver. As for my Work schedule, I will be available to pick you up regardless of what time it may be. One of the privileges of being an executive is that I can schedule myself to be out of the office as need be so picking you up is not a problem on my end.

Ben

From: Paula Petrow [mailto:pp.etrow@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 12:51 PM
To: Benjamin
Subject: STATUS

Hey there, i guess you miss the package today, ups agent was there to deliver it but you are not there to sign for the pckage.

I guess Ups will be there agin tomorrow, please kindly make yourself available to sign for the package, better still you can pick it up from any ups office close to you.

I will await to read from you later, write back soon.

Regards.

Origional E-mail

Hello,
I got your email. l am glad to hear that the place is still available. I am 26 Years of age, i am into Ceramics and Arts Designs. I am cool and fun to be with. Unfortunately i will not be available to come and have a look at the place. Cuz i am presently in Dublin Ireland republic, and my mom was a little bit ill,hope she will be well soon.

Please kindly get back to me with the details below.

1) I am planning to move in 1st week of September, hope that is okay with you?
2) And i will need a place to call home. I will be renting the place on a long term lease. About 7 to 11months. Hope that is okay aswell.
3) Do you have any picture to share with me?
4) What is the present color of the room?
5) What is the total move in asking amount and the method of payment?
6) And will you be living in the building as well?
7) What facilities do you have provided at your place?

How close are you to shopping, restaurants, grocery stores etc?
These are the few things i can think up to ask for now.Thanks

I will await to read from you later.

Best Regards,

I am hoping to get enough togather that I can track this person down.

Ben

darushin · **Joined:** Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:31 am **Posts:** 5

Well I just spoke to the bank, it seems that they also believe it is a fake check (no surprise). They will know for sure in a few days and have asked if I have any info on the person which I do. I just sent an e-mail to scammer telling them that due to 9-11 my banks require large deposits to be verified and they may need her to fill out a form. Hopefully this will get to be fun.

Ben

reverse · **Joined:** Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:19 pm **Posts:** 171

Your bank charges you 10 bucks to verify a check? You need another bank! They should be able to make a couple of quick phone calls and decide if the check is no good.

Maybe you mean they sent the check for collection and are charging you 10 bucks, I hope that is the case.

darushin · **Joined:** Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:31 am **Posts:** 5

Business accounts are very different then consumer accounts at almost all banks. For example most businesses are charged for services that consumers aren't charged for (or we have different requirements to get said services for free). In addition, we have services that are available to us that aren't to regular consumers.

The type of hold I had put on it sends it to a investigation officer. Unlike, consumer accounts my bank specifically has officers for business that prepare a full report on suspected forged bank documents (money orders, checks etc...) that can be used in court because it is assumed businesses will want to prosecute this type of action. That is what I paid $10 for, not for your standard crap of a scan the bank does when a consumer submits a check that a few weeks later gets returned after they have been scammed.

Essentially when this is done I should be able to request a signed document for legal use stating the forgery and why it is forged. This will help if the return address and other info I am collecting on this person does pan out.

reverse · **Joined:** Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:19 pm **Posts:** 171

My bank will give me a certified letter saying a check is counterfeit, for free................I do not get the original check back though. I deal with their investigator directly

reverse · **Joined:** Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:19 pm **Posts:** 171

And just to let you now your return address you are looking into will be a transhipper, the real scammer is in another country.

Do not get your hopes up.

ximora · **Joined:** Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:10 am **Posts:** 583

I find it "very" interesting that banks will offer all this protection to a business but not to a "regular" customer??? This only proves to me that banks don't look after their customers as well as they should! It also shows that they could be doing more to help stop this madness! To think they have the means to protect their regular customers but they "choose" not to offer them a sevice that could indeed save a them from finanacial disaster as well as a criminal record ruining the rest of their lives! I would have been willing to pay that $10 if it would have saved me from the the next two years of hell that I went thru! I said it once before and I'll say it again... the banks as well as Western Union are the main reason why these scammers thrive and why these scamns are so out of control because they don't do enough to stop it even though they have the resources to do so! I really think the banking industry needs a major overhaul. And Western Union..... well they could really care less I mean after all, they are making "alot" of "stolen" money from these scams too! Shouldn't that also make them an accessory to this crime???

darushin · **Joined:** Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:31 am **Posts:** 5

reverse wrote:

And just to let you now your return address you are looking into will be a transhipper, the real scammer is in another country.

Do not get your hopes up.

Actually I have a plan for that if that is the case. Either way the fun I can derive from giving this scammer, is well worth the $10 I have invested.

reverse · **Joined:** Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:19 pm **Posts:** 171

ximora wrote:

I find it "very" interesting that banks will offer all this protection to a business but not to a "regular" customer??? This only proves to me that banks don't look after their customers as well as they should! It also shows that they could be doing more to help stop this madness! To think they have the means to protect their regular customers but they "choose" not to offer them a sevice that could indeed save a them from finanacial disaster as well as a criminal record ruining the rest of their lives! I would have been willing to pay that $10 if it would have saved me from the the next two years of hell that I went thru! I said it once before and I'll say it again... the banks as well as Western Union are the main reason why these scammers thrive and why these scamns are so out of control because they don't do enough to stop it even though they have the resources to do so! I really think the banking industry needs a major overhaul. And Western Union..... well they could really care less I mean after all, they are making "alot" of "stolen" money from these scams too! Shouldn't that also make them an accessory to this crime???

If you read his post carefully, he suspected that the check was counterfeit and called it to the bank's attention. Any decent bank will investigate a check you bring to their attention as being possbily bad. Most will not charge you 10 bucks.

In your case did you just deposit the check? In his case he called their attention to it. I think that would be the difference.

ximora · **Joined:** Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:10 am **Posts:** 583

Yes I did call their attention to it and I was told it looked fine and that's as far as it went. My point is if they have investigators to look into checks for businesses then they should do the same for any customer. He also stated above, that they do less to investigate checks for John Q Public accounts than they do for business accounts. If they had offered me that same service and handed that check over to an investigator like they do for a business then maybe I wouldn't have spent two years trying to put my life back together again. Instead they just handed it back to me saying it looked fine. Nothing else was offered to look more into it.

darushin · **Joined:** Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:31 am **Posts:** 5

reverse wrote:

ximora wrote:

I find it "very" interesting that banks will offer all this protection to a business but not to a "regular" customer??? This only proves to me that banks don't look after their customers as well as they should! It also shows that they could be doing more to help stop this madness! To think they have the means to protect their regular customers but they "choose" not to offer them a sevice that could indeed save a them from finanacial disaster as well as a criminal record ruining the rest of their lives! I would have been willing to pay that $10 if it would have saved me from the the next two years of hell that I went thru! I said it once before and I'll say it again... the banks as well as Western Union are the main reason why these scammers thrive and why these scamns are so out of control because they don't do enough to stop it even though they have the resources to do so! I really think the banking industry needs a major overhaul. And Western Union..... well they could really care less I mean after all, they are making "alot" of "stolen" money from these scams too! Shouldn't that also make them an accessory to this crime???

If you read his post carefully, he suspected that the check was counterfeit and called it to the bank's attention. Any decent bank will investigate a check you bring to their attention as being possbily bad. Most will not charge you 10 bucks.

In your case did you just deposit the check? In his case he called their attention to it. I think that would be the difference.

The reason I was charge $10 is because the process isn't the normal process used for check cashing.

Usually when you cash a cashiers check most banks will only verify it for fraud if the cashier or the a manager suspects it may be fraud. Most times the check is sent to the originating bank on the assumption it is good (ie you get the money). Then when the issuing bank says it is fake (usually in a 7-10 days or so) they charge you a bounce fee (In addition to any other fess) and then deduct it from your account.

The process I used, is different. The bank takes the check and immediately forwards it to their security division for review. In addition I have the option of having the check credit against my account, my credit line or held until funds are cleared. This service also offers bank confirmation quicker (within 3 business days vs 7-10). I can usually have any check I submit verified within 4 business days or less using this method.

ximora · **Joined:** Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:10 am **Posts:** 583

Quote:

The process I used, is different. The bank takes the check and immediately forwards it to their security division for review. In addition I have the option of having the check credit against my account, my credit line or held until funds are cleared. This service also offers bank confirmation quicker (within 3 business days vs 7-10). I can usually have any check I submit verified within 4 business days or less using this method.

It would be nice if they would offer something like that for everyone knowing how bad things are with these scams. I'm just saying that if I suspected a check not to be good, I would be willing to pay that $10 just to have it investigated further and know for sure if it would save me alot of grief in the end.

gmannhtown · **Joined:** Sun Aug 26, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 1

I recently posted a roommate wanted add on craiglist.com and have since been bombarded with these type emails. Amazingly, the content of the responses are very similiar to what you all are posting here. Should I let senders know I am aware of this scam to reduce fraudulent correspondences? Will a specific pursuit allow me to report this activity easily? Will there be actual action to occur if I perform the reporting of the scam emails I am receiving? If there is a useful link for answering these questions, please provide it. Thanks.

Gary

admin · **Joined:** Mon Mar 31, 2003 10:09 pm **Posts:** 2921

here is a link with helpful information

http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html

ScamVictimsUnited.com

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