Submitted: Thursday, November 06, 2008
Posted: Thursday, November 06, 2008
Edgeman
Chico
U.S.A.
Loretta, read this:
http://www.snopes.com/fraud/employment/shopper.asp
I'm sorry to say that you were ripped off, but not by the bank.
Submitted: Thursday, November 06, 2008
Posted: Thursday, November 06, 2008
Pardel
Bernie
U.S.A.
I also had a similar situation as this poster. I can see how she fell for the scam, fortunately, I didn't fall for it.
I use to sell on Ebay so my address was listed on my listings. I received an E-mail from someone that stated they wanted to place a large order and would be sending me a money order for the order. One day a few days later I went to the post office and received an envelope with 3 one thousand dollar money orders in it. The enclosed letter stated this was a prepayment for the order the person would be placing with me (I sold beauty products). I immediately became suspicious as the sender wanted me to deposit the 3 money orders and then transfer the money from my bank account to a 2nd individual via a money wire (keeping $500.00 for the order the individual would be placing with me). These money orders looked 100% real. I took them to the post office and asked the postal manager if the money orders were real. She looked at them and stated they did appear to be real and that I could cash them. I told her I was highly suspicious that they were not real and if there was anyway to make absolute sure they were real. She said she could turn them in to the department that handled fraud and have them checked. Bottom line, I was right the money orders were missing the required 'water' mark and were phoney. Also, the maximum amount allowable for a money order is $750.00. This alone should have told the post office these money orders were fake, however, I was first told they were real and I could cash them.
If I had taken the postal managers word at face value and not insisted they prove to me the money order was real I would have been in the same situation as this poster.
I did receive a follow up letter from the original person that sent the money orders. He wanted to know if I had received the money orders and deposited them. I returned his e-mail with ROFLMAO There is just one problem, your money orders are fake! lol I wasn't born yesterday! ROFLMAO
Never heard from him again.
These checks and money orders will clear when deposited in the receipents account. It usually takes 3 to 4 weeks for them to then bounce back.
Submitted: Thursday, November 06, 2008
Posted: Thursday, November 06, 2008
Laurie
Haslet
U.S.A.
You did not state how you got the check.
Were you expecting to receive it at all? Or did it come out of the blue?
Other than calling the "company" itself did you make any attempt to do any further research?
Like an internet search on on the company or keywords based on the instructions you were sent? Like Lottery scams or mystery shopping scams.
there are lots of reports for both right here on ROR, some who have been scammed and others who are reporting it as an alert to others.
You did state that you followed the instructions you were provided
Did you wire transfer any of that money back to someone else as part of the instructions?
Based on what little information you did provide sounds like you allowed yourself to be scammed on a Mystery Shopping Scam or Lottery Scam.
You fell for a classic scam and just assumed it was legitimate. People like you are exactly who these SCAMMERS want! People who do not stop to think - just react to FREE MONEY!
Usually it is people who cannot afford to pay the money back.
Even here on ROR homepage under Consumer Alerts - never cash checks you did not expect to recieive and never wire transfer money to anyone you do not know.
Yes - You have to pay the bank back! And you have no one to blame but yourself for it.
Lottery Scams - NO legitimate Lottery will send you money to pay your taxes with -those will be removed from your winnings before any checks are sent.
Mystery Shopping - No company is going to blindly send checks to people in hopes that they will carry out the instructions.
As a Mystery Shopper myself - you have to "APPLY" for Mystery Shopping jobs, AND you have to be affiliated with legitimate Mystery Shopping Programs.
Submitted: Thursday, November 06, 2008
Posted: Thursday, November 06, 2008
Cristina
Bristow
U.S.A.
Oh my Lord...I can't believe you didn't know it was fake??!?! Why would someone, out of the blue, send you a check for thousands of dollars? That just doesn't make sense. If it sounds too good to be true...it is!!!
Sorry, you owe the bank the money and it is your fault for being so naive.
Learn your lesson.