CRAIGLIST/FAKE CHECK SCAMMER - GIOVANNI GIBSON

Giovanni Gibson sent me an email in response to an aquarium listed on Craigslist. He sent me a check drawn on a Bank of America account from Willard Intercontinental Hotel. He told me to take the check to a cashing point and after it clears to send the excess money via money gram to his shipping company to arrange for pick up of the item from my house.

The Fed Ex package was sent with the "from" address:
Clifford Williams
36098 Hwy 1055
Mount Hermom, LA 70450
(763) 219-0876

Tracking the package it was actually sent from Romulus, MI. The Bank of America and Willard Intercontineal Hotel addresses are both in Washington D.C.

The shipping company he told me to send the excess funds to:
Aaron Deherrera
9197 Cypress Drive
thornton, Co 80229

Here are the emails I received:

"Dear XXXXXXX,

You 've got the check? Get it deposited to your account when you get the check,all you need to do after the check deposited and clears is to get the item ready to be shipped out and as arranged ealier that you are to deduct your money and send the excess fund to the shipper asap via money gram so he can start the picked up after check clears in your account for pickup arrangement so get back to me with the MoneyGram Reference Number asap.You will get a money gram at any walmart store or you check online on www.moneygram.com and look for nearest location close to you.It will cost you $95 to send the money which you re to deduct from the money you re sending.
Here is the shipper info to send the money below :

Aaron Deherrera
9197 Cypress Drive
thornton, Co 80229

Get back to me with MoneyGram Reference Number Today

Thanks get back."

"Okay as soon as you get the check cashed all you need to do is just to deduct your fund of $550 from $2800 sent to you and send excess fund of $2250 to my shipper through MoneyGram Money Transfer and get back to me asap with the MoneyGram Reference Number and location where my shipper needs to come for the pick up the aquarium. You will get a money gram at any walmart store or you check online on www.moneygram.com and look for nearest location close to you.It will cost you $95 to send the money which you re to deduct from the money you re sending.
Here is the shipper info to send the money below :

Aaron Deherrera
9197 Cypress Drive
thornton, Co 80229

Get back to me with MoneyGram Reference Number

Thanks get back."

"Hello,
Good Morning to you, Have you deposited the check into your account?? Check will only take 1-2days to clears so as soon as the check clears, deduct your fund of $400 from the $2500 and send the excess fund OF 2100$ to my shipper via Money Gram Money Transfer only and get back to me asap with the Money Gram details such as Money Gram Reference Number, Total amount Sent and sender`s name and address.You will get a money gram at any walmart store or you check online on www.moneygram.com and look for nearest location close to you.It will cost you $95 to send the money which you re to deduct from the money you re sending. Is that okay with you??

Here is my Shipper Information to send the money to

Aaron Deherrera
9197 Cypress Drive
thornton, Co 80229

I will be waiting for MoneyGram Reference Number.
Thanks"

Almost identical emails with slight changes (like the dollar amount I get to keep went down. The original email has an amount that was higher than my asking price - never heard of!)xmas
Registered Member

I trust that you have already figured that, if you cash the cheque, post the aquarium and send back the balance you will be down :
cash
aquarium
and in trouble with the Police for trying to cash a stolen/fake cheque.

I hope you'll totally ignore the scammer (he should give up after a while)

Thank you for posting, xmas.

I've moved this to the auction scams forum.

Also, this is a duplicate of this post: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1937&start=15
I'm locking it to keep the discussion in one place.