Cash Back Scam

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Mark Lassagne
Posts: 156
Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2005 1:31 pm
Location: Dixon, CA
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Cash Back Scam

Post by Mark Lassagne »

Hi Guys

This is the third time someone tried to do this to me, and we may even write and article for BASS ANGLER magazine to protect you. They make an offer to buy a boat or other item then sends a check and wants part of the money back. Sounds bad from the start..RIGHT? One time I got a real cashiers check but when I called the bank they didn't know anything about it, I turned over to the FBI.

Only the ATM gives cash back! No you or me :)

Here is the email I got:
Hello...
Thanks for the mail....i got the address the check 'll be sent out
asap.....However,i want u to know that i 'll be adding the agent
payment to the check that 'll be sent to you.....the check is going to
be a check for $8,000.....when u get it u deduct $5,000 for the
deposit and then send out the remaining balance to the agent for the
inspection...ok...do keep me posted as soon as u get the check ok....
Regards
http://www.bassanglermag.com
Best contact is mark@bassmag.com
Jeff C.
Posts: 560
Joined: Mon May 23, 2005 12:03 pm

Re: Cash Back Scam

Post by Jeff C. »

My guess is that law enforcement won't do anything if all you have is electronic correspondence but it might be fun to try to string the scammers along for a while. Tell them you are going to mail their check but only after they send you some sort of confirmation that they are legit. Or you could tell them they have to come pick up the boat first and then call law enforcement in the unlikely case where someone actually shows up. I remember hearing about some website that's devoted to this idea of scamming the scammers, where people get the scammers to take pictures of themselves or post goofy correspondence they get the scammers to take part in. I would worry about giving them my real address though.
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Gator
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Re: Cash Back Scam

Post by Gator »

http://419eater.com/

Funny funny site to read..........
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JamesH
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Joined: Sat May 07, 2005 6:20 pm
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Re: Cash Back Scam

Post by JamesH »

I dealt with this on our vacation rental. Knowing that it was a scam all along, I strung them along getting as much info as possible which I then took to the Sacramento FBI office. I was at the point where I had told the sender I was ready to send them the balance of the check. The FBI thanked me for my diligence and informed me that they considered persuing these scams as a total waste of resources and that there chance of catching them was virtually ZERO...... I'm sure the info I gave them went into the trash as soon as I left..... what a crock.....

James
davet.
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Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 1:33 pm
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Re: Cash Back Scam

Post by davet. »

I like to play with them ,419eater.com style. Tell em you have a drug and gambling habit, send em pics (found on the net) for proof, telling em that's me, snorting coke off a hooker's a$$, sorry bout the extra cash, I'll pay you back for sure, blah blah blah. String em along and when it's ran it's course I'll try to insult them into some kinda death threat or reaction. They're always in Nigeria, so no real threat.
I joined 419eater years ago and have had them send me those funny pics at my direction, "official" certificates. Even had em come up with a prayer to free my computer from the satanic ghosts which had possesed it before I could send the money.
Another great ploy is to find where they are in Africa, find out where the most conflicts are around there and tell em you'll only send money to that bank in or on the other side of the war. Have them check in regularly to search the IP adress to make sure they're really on the road. It's called a "safari" and there's some very good ones on 419eater. There's some real pros that have these "chaps" really going.
Last edited by davet. on Sat Oct 23, 2010 6:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
www.powerskoop.com
....it aint rocket science!
split172
Posts: 420
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 11:30 am
Location: So Cal

Re: Cash Back Scam

Post by split172 »

Just be careful not to go cash it, I have seen people get nailed for fraud!
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schreecher2
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Re: Cash Back Scam

Post by schreecher2 »

I have had the same thing happen with a prop I sold. The guy sent me a personal check for 100 dollars over the price. I went ahead and asked the bank about it, and they said that I could deposit it. I did, then made the guy wait for 5 weeks before I shipped the prop. He was pissed, but the check cleared, he got the prop (5 weeks later), and then I paypal the money back a month after that.
Tight Lines,
schreech
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skandy
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Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 7:37 pm
Location: Rohnert Park
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Re: Cash Back Scam

Post by skandy »

This scammer contacted me this week asking that I give $2000 to his agent. Right there the red flag went up. The e-mail I received was nearly identical to Mark's. I'm sure this guy is in another country.
Gotta be careful out there.
jbarron
Posts: 61
Joined: Wed Oct 06, 2010 5:11 am

Re: Cash Back Scam

Post by jbarron »

About two years ago I had the same thing, they even when so far as to send me a cashiers check for $60,000. I took it to the fraud division and they turned it over to the FBI. They contacted me and I turned over the check but that's all that happened. Never heard from those people again.
jb
ATF should be a convenience store not a government agency
bassinbillmc
Posts: 51
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2005 9:50 pm
Location: San Carlos, CA

Re: Cash Back Scam

Post by bassinbillmc »

This is a fairly common scam that has been going around for a fair amount of time. I have taken a few reports regarding this type of scam and they all have involved people losing thousands of dollars in the process.

Like a lot of you mentioned, red flags should go up when you get this kind of e-mail and/or a reply to something you are selling. Some people overlook this due to the thought of making a quick buck. What happens is you deposit the supposedly good check into your account and then send back the overpayment, sans a small amount for your trouble. Then it turns out the whole check is fraudulent. By that time you are out the money you sent back and your account has been charged for a bad check or worse.

I put a lot of time into one report (friend lost $5,000) and took it as far as I could. Money went from here (Bay Area) to Texas,then Ohio and finally ended up at a Western Union in Greece (no I.D. was required to pick up money).

I did have one small victory. Someone tried to scam an elderly person with a flyer about winning money. I called that guy so many times over the next few days (part of my investigation - HAR HAR) that he canceled the phone number that had been on the flyer. Probably only put him out of business for a few days but still worth. He was very frustrated at the end - too bad!!!

Have common sense - if it is too good to be true it probably is. Keep your personal ID as secure as possible.

Bill
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