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 Post subject: United States Postal Money Order Payments® ExpressPaymentSM
PostPosted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:55 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:49 pm
Posts: 3
Someone tried to scam me on eBay when I put up a video game console and games. They requested that I end the auction early because they urgently needed the system. I had a feeling something was up, but worst case, I'd have to relist it. The deal was great (another reason for suspicion) so I ended the auction.

I got an email from them later (broken english) explaining how they were going to do things. They said they'd pay for shipping through their FedEx account, and I'd receive a money order. Here was the "confirmation" of the money order:

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Dear *** ,

Thank you for using United States Postal Service Payment®.Your $310.00 Money Order sent to you by Matin Pohlmann is in our database.

Ensure you send to us the tracking # on the fedex pre-paid shipping label and invoice the buyer will send to you for the
shipment,to enable us send out your payment to your address we have in our database.

Payment would only be released as soon as you send us the tracking # of the shipment immediately the package is picked up by fedex.

The Money OrderSM will be delivered to your contact information below, Please verify that the name and address (As entered by the buyer) are correct:

*****

Thank you for using United States Postal Money Order Payments® ExpressPaymentSM. We look forward serving your Online Money Order Payments® needs in future.

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT OUR ONLINE CUSTOMER CARE SERVICE AT Customerhelpcare@consultant.comTHIS IS A VALID EMAIL THAT WILL LEAD YOU TO OUR ONLINE SERVICE
United States Postal Service Payments.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So I did some reasearch on the "United States Postal Money Order Payments® ExpressPaymentSM" and found many people complaining of fraud. So now knowing that this is fraud, is there anything I can do about it besides relist my item and lost the $2 bucks in relisiting fees? Or can I take some sort of action against this?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 5:36 pm 
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Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:10 am
Posts: 583
Chances are this person or persons is outside of the US as most of them seem to be in which case there is nothing that can be done. And since you didn't really loose anything other than your $2 listing fee, no one would do anything about it anyways. The Secret Sevice amoung others who work with these types of scams are so backlogged now that yours would not even be considered even if it was here in the US since there was no actual loss. You did your homework and that was a good thing since it did protect you from becoming a victim. I would just let this one go and learn from the experience, also doing exactly what you did this time only doing it "before" you close your auctions from now on. 8)


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 6:13 pm 
You got off cheap, a lot of people here have lost thousands of dollars.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 8:54 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:49 pm
Posts: 3
Yes, understood. I did get off cheap. More about principle though, not the $2 which isn't worth much. I'd just rather these people be reprimanded than have them continue to get away with it...


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:49 pm 
Nobody in law enforcement will go after anybody for 2 bucks. Your perp is not even in this country.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 10:56 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:49 pm
Posts: 3
As I said before if you didn't read, it's not the two dollars, it's the principle behind it. People are losing much more than two bucks, so that needs to be prevented, and if there is something I can do with my situation to possibly help out others in the future, I'd definitly look into it...


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 6:26 am 
Then you are going to have to work with someone that has suffered a major loss, LE does not go after people in a another country because your "principles" have been scathed.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Aug 26, 2006 10:09 am 
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Joined: Sat Aug 26, 2006 10:03 am
Posts: 1
GOOD STUFF!!! I am the newest person who these guys have tried to scam. All I can say is thank goodness for Google.

I feel bad for those of you that have lost money to these guys. Oh well, a lesson learned I guess.

It was my first time ever using Craig's List, and I was shocked that "Jessica Walter" was so eager to raise the price from what others were offering. Then when you threw in the emails with their obvious signs that it might be a scam, I started my research and found out about the scam.

I first replied to the " ***United States Postal Money Order***Payment Confirmation Approved***($450.00)***Cash " email with this:

"I've never used this service before. I don't feel comfortable mailing out my item before I have received payment. Please send me a phone number I can call to ask some questions. Thanks."

The phone number they sent me was the same one that was sent in the initial email by Jessica Walter (another sign of a scam).

After reading this thread and several others, here's the reply I sent back:

"Thought you might want to check out these websites:

http://tunaspecial.com/?p=96
http://www.scamvictimsunited.com/phpBB2 ... bdcdf16c91
http://forums.ebay.in/thread.jspa?threa ... 6916477715

Nice try. Better luck with your next victim that doesn't know how to do their own research."

I can't wait to see if they reply...I doubt it though. As you can see, my reply contained the links to a couple other forums talking about this same scam.

Thanks for the heads up.

P.S. I also got replies from "Mike Williams" with the same kind of offer to send a money order and with the same broken English. I'm sure they change their names every time though.


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 Post subject: Am I still in danger?
PostPosted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 12:58 am 
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Joined: Sun Aug 27, 2006 12:53 am
Posts: 1
All this happened to me too. I got the same USPS email and everything. I noticed it was fake then, and will not be shipping the item. If they still send the money order, what should I do with it? Tear it up? Take it to the police?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 8:13 am 
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Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:10 am
Posts: 583
If it's a postal money order take it to your post office, explain the situation, and have them give it to the postal inspector.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 10:57 pm 
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Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 10:49 pm
Posts: 1
rosearcna, I sold $19 webcam online on Craigslist and I got the same trick as you do. First, the buyer claimed he is out of the country and would like me to ship it out to NG (Nigeria). However, he claimed I don't have to pay a cent on the shipping and send me an e-mail with the FedEx prepaid shipping invoice. I brought the invoice to FedEx office this afternoon but the lady working there claimed it is genuine ( I think she must be new).

I told the buyer I can accept money order, hoping that the money order will arrive in my mailbox and I can cash it out before I ship the item. This evening I received an e-mail from United States Post Office claiming that the office has received the payment from the buyer. However, USPS will hold the payment until I confirm the shipment with the tracking number to the buyer. In another words, I will have to ship out the webcam before I can receive the money. There are a lot of doubts here. I have sent a copy of the USPS' e-mail to USPS.com and waiting for their response to see if they have such service by holding someone money. After looking through the response here, I am pretty sure this is a scam. I am not going to ship out the item.


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 Post subject: USPS Postal Money Order SCAM attempt
PostPosted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 4:54 am 
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Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2006 4:37 am
Posts: 1
Just ran into this attempted SCAM on an item I listed in craiglist. Was suspect of the buyers broken English and urgency to complete the transaction using what they termed USPS Postal Money Order program. Did some research and found this forum. Thanks for confirming my fear that this was indeed an attempted SCAM. You saved me from making a $350 mistake. The USPS confirmation that they sent to me that funds had been received was pretty elaborate and looked fairly authentic, but had spelling errors as well as broken English sentences. This should be a key to anyone looking into this. The USPS would never allow such errors to exist on their web site. Thanks again. Sellers beware.


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 Post subject: FedEx/USPS scam
PostPosted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 12:38 pm 
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Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 12:22 pm
Posts: 1
Thank goodness for Google, indeed! I also posted an item on Craigslist, and a "Kahn Sappin" wanted it shipped immediately. I expressed my reservations about sending an item before receiving payment, but if the FedEx/USPS arrangement were legit it seemed fair. His broken English didn't bother me, but the broken English in the confirmation e-mail did, raising a flag about that company's legitimacy. Fortunately, my first Google hit led me here. Thanks, guys! From now on, Paypal or nothing.


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 Post subject: Glad I checked...
PostPosted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 11:59 am 
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Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2006 11:54 am
Posts: 1
Location: Las Vegas
I just received the same e-mail regarding a posting that I left on craigslist. I would have been comfortable shipping had I actually received the money order first and cashed it but for $350 there was no way I felt comfortable shipping out the item. I'm glad I took the time to look it up first. My reply came from "Ife Bolaji" in Nigeria. Be on the look out! :twisted:

_________________
MzKitiara @~>~


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 Post subject: ***United States Postal Money Order***Payment Confirmation A
PostPosted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:19 pm 
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Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:13 pm
Posts: 1
Here's the same scam, which i just received today after posting on Craigslist last night.
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Hello,I am located in North Georgia,NG/USA and I am happy to know the condition of the item,I would have loved to pay with paypal but, i cant afford to be burnt twice, visit this site and you would understand
better ( http://www.paypalsucks.com) and i will like to offer you $360 and I would proceed with the paymentimmediately,and Incase you dont know how Usps Money order works, This is how it works, as soon as i make payment with USPS Money order, they will notify both of us that, i have made
payment for some amount and they will have to pend it inorder to findout somethings about my payment. As soon as they approved my payment, they will also let you know that, my payment has been approved and a confirmation would be sent to you and also your money order would be mailed to you immediately, the money order would be get to your address in 3 to 5 business day, first class mail to confirm the delivery of your money order. I think its better and safe because, once they approved payment and you have been sent the confirmation, its for sure that the seller or whoever thats involved will definately receive
the money order and thats why it takes them hours to approve after pending As for the shipping, you dont have to pay adime for it because i will be responsible for the shipping to destination. Upon confirmation
of payment via email, i will send you a fed-ex prepaid shipping label to you which you will paste on the package before fedex comes for the pick up. I will like to read from you if this is okay by you. Let me
have your full name and address so that i can proceed with the payment.
NB
Please dont forget to end the bid once My payment has been confirmed.thanks
NOTE:Kindly send me the pictures of the item so that my son can see it
well...
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i went to usps.com and looked for online money order. it was discontinued back in 2004. so i had my doubts. i asked the guy what website he was planning on using to make the payment. he replies with..

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just get back to me with your full informations for payment and the pictures of the item okay..
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
so i took it further, he sent me the confirmation email that he purchased the money order etc. The email was so suspicious, it had a link to fbijobs.com (bogus) should be fbi.gov. and Authorized was spelled with an 's'. so i told him i knew it was a scam and to not email me any further or else i would report him. But i'm going to report him anyways.

His email: tunde tunji [tunde_tunji2000@yahoo.com]


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