Friend fell for a $3000 scam! What can she do?

Thanks for posting! Some of the mistakes in English are not consistent with being a native speaker of English or French, but are consistent with being a native speaker of Igbo or Yoruba.

I have friends from Guam and they don't speak at all like this. I see West African English here.

[quote="schioka"]

2. SCAMMER: Alicia Madrigal ( [email protected] ) number +447035907855

Hi,
Thanks for your response to my previous email.I will like to tell you a lil about me..I was born and brought up in UK...mom from India and dad from Spain.I am quiet and easy going person to live with. I'm 32 years old of age, I am extremely clean,quiet and respectful, I am a sensitive, intelligent, patient and caring person,have a good sense of humor and am easy to get along with.I don't drink nor smoke,no pets,I'm a very busy woman also.I admit I am not perfect but I try to leave things in a condition so that others are not inconvenienced.

I need to secure this room for myself before i arrive to the state as I'll be moving in with my luggage.I must confess to you that you will enjoy my stay in your home.Well my name is Alicia Madrigal,I am a chemist by profession and i am currently working with Southern General Hospital 1345 Govan Road,Glasgow G51 4TF.I am married with a kid.Although they will not be coming with me to the state.I will travel to Glasgow Scotland to visit them once in a while.

I will be in the states before the end of June for the next one year and during my stay i will be working with the United State Environmental Protection Agency on a private research work....It will be a great pleasure seeing you soon.I think you should let me know a lil about you too.You can reach me on +447035907855 anytime.I would have called you earlier but my phone cannot make international calls.

Sincerely,

Alicia


I am trying to rent a room right now and I apparently have this Clown responding to my ad. [email protected],

This is the text as yet.

From: Alicia Madrigal <[email protected]>
To: xxx
Sent: Friday, May 17, 2013 6:48 PM
Subject: RE: - $400 Kingsburg = Quiet (Kingsburg, CA)

I'm Female...any exceptions?
and the following replies.

Date: Fri, 17 May 2013 19:22:35 -0700
From: xxx
Subject: Re: - $400 Kingsburg = Quiet (Kingsburg, CA)
To: [email protected]

Give me a week see where I am at and then we can talk. I will be gone for the next couple days, I have military duty out on the coast and will be back middle to late next week.

Gregg


RE: - $400 Kingsburg = Quiet (Kingsburg, CA)
Hide Details

From
Alicia Madrigal

To
xxx
Ok,let me know if anything changes.

So Obviously I will not be letting her know that something changes.

Thanks for this site otherwise I would have never known.

Gregg

Yep, don't let her know anything +44703=only pretending to be in England.

Just FYI, the scammer [email protected] is still actively prowling Craigslist, now in the jobs wanted section, and is now using the name "Bruce." I did not reply to the message, as it immediately struck me as fishy, so I did a Google search on the email addy (which is how I found this thread), but here is the text:

Do you need a Job

Bruce <[email protected]>

7:28 PM (37 minutes ago)

Hello,
Want to know if you still need a full / part time, do get back to me on my private email
( [email protected] ) so we can move forward

Regards

Be careful out there, folks.

I know it was stupid. I could tell that the email was from a scamster in less than a minute. I felt sad that she fell for the trick!

The basic scam was the regular wire transfer scam. She was told that some movers will be coming to his place and that she needs to pay them $3000. The scamster sent him a check which cleared at first (that's the bank told her!). She transferred the money after which the bank sent him an email saying that the check bounced. So its almost as if he threw $3000 into an ocean using Western Union.

I feel extremely sorry for her considering that she is still a student who was trying to sublet her apartment I have been reading about scams but don't really know what advice to give to a victim. Can someone please advice?

what I don't understand is how western union cannot be held accountable for proven documented scams..WU know full well the scammers use them to procure money through fraud so why is no financial ombusdsman holding them to account in the same way the banks have been brought to book over mis selling PPI and other services

Hi jeanie,

Western Union lists more warnings about fraud than most other businesses, because their legitimate service is so often abused by scammers.
They have warnings online, as well as a lot of explanation about scams, warnings on signs in their outlets and even warnings on their forms! We are familiar with many instances in which Western Union clerks even refused to let victims send payment. Scammers will tell victims the lies to tell: "say you're sending it to a friend", etc.

It's unfortunate, but Western Union isn't ultimately responsible.

Just want to thank for this thread, the scam is still alive.
Just got it on a post for my room rental (email [email protected])
Exact same text.

Thank God for google.

I found [email protected] again, this scammer started with the email [email protected] and then switched to [email protected]. the scammer is using the name: Rishika Sutwala

here is the text of what this person sent me:

email 1:

I am Rishika Sutwala 23 and I work with an interior design company in
LA. I like to think of myself as a fun easy going person with no hang
ups. I am clean, friendly and non interfering , i left work for a
research in Canada and will be coming back for my masters after my
research which i will love to do there.I am here in a remote are but
i will call you when i get to the town for easy conversation.

I would have loved to take a look at the place before renting it,but
am very far, with pictures i am glad. I will also like you to tell me
more about you and if you have garage or parking space cos I will have
my own car come over, pls let me know the total payment of the place
and more over I will send your email to my dad for him to email you
later bcos he is the one that will be paying the bills but
nevertheless,I will like you to send me your full Name and the
Physical address, your phone number as well,so that my Dad will issue
out the payment for the place as soon as possible,with that you can
hold on the place for me till i come .I will be looking forward to
your email soonest. Thanks and have a nice day

email 2:

Thanks for the information. I got it and immediately forward it to my
dad to issue out the check payment to you asap so delete the post
from cl now. I will let you know when i get the tracking # from him
so you can monitor the delivery status. I will be moving in soon,
so i want you to please have the room cleaned ahead of time and by
engaging the service of a local cleaner around you. I will pay for
the service alright. Can't wait to meet you soon.let me know once you
take down the add Okay.
Regards

email 3:

Hello
The payment has been issue out to you and will deliver to you
Tuesday or Wednesday,so pls take the add off the site..As regards my
car,i am planning on having it delivered to the house before my
arrival so that i can settle in comfortably,you can understand that
transiting cross Atlantic is not easy so I'm making arrangement with
the car dealer to deliver the car before my arrival after the rent
and security deposit has been paid to you by my Dad. I will ask you
for a favor here,can i rely on you to take delivery of the car for me
when its delivered.As you will be handling the delivery of the car
with the rent and deposit to be sent to you so that you can help me
handle the delivery payment for the car...The delivery payment will
be included with the Check coming to you.I will really appreciate if
you can do this for me and promise to compensate you adequately for
your time and efforts on my arrival to your place.

Thanks

Here are some pictures the scammer sent me:
I'm pretty sure they are stolen from a blog called seejulie

I'm not sure where he means by LA; given his writing style, LOS (Lagos) is much more likely than LAX or LCH or LPQ.