The plot thickens.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 1:58PM A quick follow-up to my Something Strange This Way Comes post:
I think I know who my scammer is.
A while back I got an odd response to my Craigslist ad for wedding photography from a "John Christian" looking to book me. Immediately, I flagged the guy as a fraud, but I played along just in case my Spidey-senses were on the fritz.
Today I got this email from John:
Hello,
My firm accountant company contacted me that the check as been
sent to you via UPS courier service and you will get the check package
today here is the package tracking number
(1Z01E9W00149757646 ).
There was a little mistake which I guess we can
handle with understanding. My firm accountant handling the monetary
aspect make some misinterpretation while sending the check. According
to the instruction i gave him, he was suppose to have send you a
check for your deposit but in the process he made a mistake by adding
the wedding D.J money to the check they sent to you and am sure we
could both handle this issue amicably.You should get the check cashed
immediately and deduct the amount for your deposit and please kindly
help in sending the remaining fund to the D.J Via Western Union
Money Transfer so that the D.J will be able to get my wedding date booked down.
Below is the D.J information that you will send the fund to.
Receivers Name..............Alton A Aguon
ADDRESS........2616 byrd rd
CITY................Las Vegas
STATE.............NV
ZIP CODE.........89120
Also I want you to ignore any note attached to the package cos it was
mistakenly attached to it.
As soon as you send the western union you should kindly get back to me
with the below information so that the D.J will be able to get his
money and as soon as possible.
kindly get back to me with the below information as soon as you send
the money so that I will be able to forward it to the D.J
Sender's Name.........
Sender's Address......
Amount sent............
MTCN (10 Digit Money Transfer Pin Number)
I will be waiting for the above Western Union details
looking forward to hear from you soonest.
I'll be forwarding this to the AGs office, along with the other stuff. I'm sure nothing will come of it, but it's nice to know the guy is out the cost of the UPS overnight letter.
Reader Comments (7)
I posted a comment on your original story also. I got a similar response today too. I was supposed to wire to a lady in CA. My local police department told me to contact the AG too.
I am in the same situation, and told them to forget it, but they sent the check anyway. I wondered if I should contact the police - but now will be contacting my AG. Thanks for all your details, it was very helpful!
Just wanted to note, that after posting an ad to sell a lawn tractor on craigslist this week , our friends with the cashier checks reappeared. same games, same checks, slightly different addresses, but clearly trying to continue this scam. Craigslist users beware.
Same scam here, too. This time they are using a bank check from El Camino College FCU in Torrance and Cardena CA(whom I contacted) under account number 091810050. The return address on my package was sportsman supply co., in PA. And the email claimed to be from a Michael Giberson (rexmos02@gmail.com).
RECEIVED THE SAME SCAM FOR MARTIA ART LESSONS FOR THIS LADIES SON, SAID SHE HAD A CHAPERONE COMING TO THE AREA AND WOULD SENE ME A MONTH TO MONTH BANK CHECK TO COVER THE LESSONAS 1 HOUR A DAY TWOICE A WEEK PAID MONTHLY. I RECEIVED A CHECK FROM UPS IN A PLAIN WHITE ENVELOPE WITH YOUR LETTER OF WARNING TO VISIT THE SITE TO CONFIRM AND THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED THE SCAM. SINCE THEN I SENT THREATENING EAMILS AND NOW NO RESPONSE. IF IT WERE A REAL CHECK FOR 2650 THEY WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT THIER MONEY. A REQUEST WAS ALSO MADE TO GO TO WESTERN UNION AND SEND 2200 TO THE CHAPERONE SINCE THEY RAN INTO FINACIAL TROUBLE FOR PLANE FAIR. I WAITED A DAY AND THEY SENT AN EMAIL IS EVERYTHING O.K. SINCE I DID NOT RESPOND RIGHT OF WAY. IF THEY NEEDED THE MONEY IN 24 HOURS THEN WHY DID THE NEXT EMAIL NOT MENTIONS THE URGENCEY OF NEEDING THE NONEY. JUST WHY HAVE YOU NOT RESONDED. ITS MY THINKING THAT IF THE BANK GAVE ME THE MONEY ASAP AND WENT TO WESTERN UNION AND THE BANK DISCOVERED THE BAD CHECK, THEY WOULD HOLD ME REAPONSIBLE AND I WOULD BE OUT THE MONEY. EVEN IF THEY WAIVED THE PAYBACK BECAUSE OF THE SCAM THAT PERSON WOULD BE 2200 AHEAD AND ONLY 10.00 WAS SPENT FOR THE USP OVERNIGHT. I AM TRYING TO TRACK DOWN THE LOCATION WHERE WESTERN UNION WAS SUPPOSED TO SEND THE WESTERN UNION ADDRESS AND ARREST THE PERSON RESIDIN THERE AWITING THE CHECK TO ARRIVE. THE RETURN ADDRESS HAD A BOGUS PHNE NO. 1 (111) 111-1111 WHICH I TRIED AND IT DID NOT GO THROUGH. I HAD TWO OTHER REQUESTS FROM PEOPLE SAYING THE SAME THING. I'M A DOCTOR OR A MISSSIONARY AND HAVE ARRANGED TRAVEL TO AND FROM YOUR STUDIO FOR 1 HOUR TWOICE A WEEK. BUT THEIR E-MAILS WENT DOWN BEFORE I COULD ARRANGE FOR THE MONEY TO BE SENT. OBVIOUSLY THEY SHUT DOWN THER EMAILS AND BAILED, BUT THIS ONE IDIOT IS STILL HANGING IN THERE CEELO CEE AND HAD THE NERVE TO END WITH GOD BLESS. AND WHY HAVE I NOT HEARD FROM YOU AND ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE CARE OF MY SON AND TEACH HIM. NAGGING ME 3 OR 4 TIMES BEFORE A CHECK WAS EVEN SENT. I SAID I WILL CALL OR EMAIL WHEN YOU SEND ME THE CHECK. WHEN IT ARRIVED I EMAILED SAYING ITS A LARGE CHECK AND DOES NOT SAY ITS FROM HER AND TO VERIFY THE TRACKING NUMBER AND THE AMOUNT WHICH SHE DI, BUT THEN REQUESTED 2200 BE SENT ASAP VIA WESTERN UNION. WHEN I WROTE ABOUT THE LETTER TIPING ME OFF TO THE SCAM SHE STOPPED TRYING TO CONTACT ME. SO JUST BEWARE, IF YOU OFFER A SERVICE FROM CRAIGS LIST AND A HUGE SUM SHOW UP VIA UPS IN A PLAIN WHITE ENVELOPE WITH NO NOTE TO VERIFY THE PERSON BUT A WARNIGN LEETER IS INCLUDED DO NOT CASH THE CHECK. YOU WILL POSSIBLY BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR A PORTION THAT YOU SEND BACK TO ANOTHER ADDRESS VIA WESTERN UNION.
Pretty sure I was a target for the same scam. This was the last correspondence I received from the sender....
Hello Laura,
Now am glad to inform you that the reschedule delivery date of the
payment is today.. Here is the tracking number of the payment by FED
EX... International courier service {798120645770}.
You can track the package here under www. FED EX.com to check the
status . The check was sent in an excess amount to cover shipping
fee,i want you to understand that the excess funds would act as a
shipping fee which would enable the shipper to come for the pick up of
the Patagonia R2 jacket - $65... At your residence and would also
enable the shipper include the unit in his log book for
shipment,because he has some other unit which he would be delivering
to the same location. And others i have with the shipping company. So
you are to transfer the excess funds on the check to the shipping
company...
What to do as soon as check is received : Get the check deposit and
cashed at your bank. Deduct the exact amount for the item
bought,Deduct extra $75. from the left balance for running around it
might cost you to get the money sent via Money Gram International
Money Transfer , Money Gram transfer is the shipping company method
of payment ...
And as soon as you get the money sent you are to get back to me with
the Actual amount sent after charges,Reference Number...Sender's full
name and address of the sender.
Here is the shipping company
NAME Alton Aguon
ADDRESS 5547 albright st
CITY las Vegas
STATE NV 8912O
Let me know if there's something here you don't get.
Waiting to read back from you...
Sara.
........... the whole thing seemed very shady. With the extra fees she would supposedly send me, she could have bought the jacket brand new!! Also, the English and grammar was very poor. There were quite a few things to tip me off that this was a scam! (She even wrote her grandmom died, and she needed extra time to send the check). Like others, the emails always closed in "God Bless", or "Warmest regards to your family." I'm glad I was able to verify my suspicions through this website! I should be receiving the "check" tonight. I guess I will just destroy it, or have it sent back to sender! Thanks for the blog!
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