Fake check Scammer - [email protected]

here's another one to add to the list...

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: paul giggs <[email protected]>
To: Susan W <[email protected]>
Sent: Wed, April 20, 2011 9:35:41 AM
Subject: Re: >>> Beautiful Queen Size Canopy Bed - $998 (Beaverton, Oregon)

Thanks For Getting back to me ..I am buying this furniture and i am a
military presently on a mission,and due to secrets of this mission,
phone calls,and visiting of website are restricted but i squeezed out
time to check this advert.i don't have access to my bank account
online as i don't have internet banking, but i can pay from my paypal
account, as i have my bank a/c attached to it,I don't mind paying
additional $50 for it in order for you to take the ad down from
craigslist and also to be assured that it is already mine.i will need
you to give me your paypal email address so i can make the payments
asap for the item and pls if you don't have paypal account yet, it is
very easy to set up, go to www.paypal.com and get it set up, after you
have set it up i will only need the e-mail address you used for the
registration with paypal so as to put the money through. I have a pick
up agent that will come and pick it up after i have made the payments

US Army
OIF Veteran
2004-2005
2006-2008

Of course it would be inhuman if undercover missions prevented special forces operatives from doing online shopping.

Considering that he'd be capable of sleeping on a cactus I suspect he'd delegate such decisions to his partner and not consider it was a priority issue on an active mission.

Don't tell the scammer that he's a dope, just let him carry on making a fool of himself.

Thank you for posting your experience. I posted 2 items on Craigslist yesterday and received these responses supposedly from two separate buyers. I became suspicious when then the responses for the 2nd item were almost identical to responses from a different buyer on the 1st item. Unfortunately I provided my name address and phone number to the first person but have asked the 2nd responder for his name, address and phone number. Will see what happens. I still have merchandise and am now on a mission to get to the bottom of this. Below are the email addresses and responses I received from each of these interested parties. My question is, what is my risk having given out my name, addy, and (cell) phone? I have contacted my cell phone provider to avoid any charges through my account. Any suggestions or advice appreciated.

My first item for sale received responses from these 2 email addresses as same person:
[email protected]
[email protected]

1st response: I am interested, just want to know if it's still available?

2nd response:
Hello
I really appreciate your response to my email. I want you to consider
i sold to me, please kindly withdraw the advert from craigslist to
avoid disturbance. I want you to know that i will be paying via bank
certified check. and i will like you to provide me with the following
information to facilitate the mailing of the check to your location.

1. Full name to write on the check
2. Full Physical address to post the check {UPS / FEDEX do not
deliver to p.o box}
3. City, State and Zip Code
4. Home & Cell Phone to contact you

*** Note that the payment will be shipped to your address via
UPS/FEDEX NEXT DAY SERVICE. I will make arrangements for the pick
up as soon as you have my check cashed and you are to give my Mover
the best time you want them to come to your location for the pick up.
please when you get the payment do get back to me asap so we could
move forward from there..

Hope to read from you soon..

Thanks.

3rd response:

Hello,
How are you doing?
Thanks for the information i just want to let you know that the
payment will be issued out and it will deliver to you soon.. please as
soon as you get the payment do get back to me asap so we could move

forward from there.. Hope to read from you soon..
Thanks.


My 2nd item for sale (coincidentally same price as first) received emails from these two address:
[email protected]
[email protected]

First response: Is the item still for sale and why you want to sell it.

Second response:

Thank you for the response.I am okay with the price and the
condition.My mode of payment will be by certified cashier check in US
dollars,because that is the only convenient means for me.Concerning
the shipment,my shipper will be at your place for the pick up after
you receive the payment and when it clears .I really wish to be there
to check out the item but i dont have chance now coz am on a
project.Please let me have the following so that the payment can be
made out to you .
Your Full Name to be on the Check
Your Full contact Address(Not P.O.Box) ,
Your Zip code and your Mobile and Land Number so that the payment can
be send to you okay. ASAP

The scammer is after cash. He wants you to deposit his fake check, and then withdraw and send a large sum of money to the "shipper" before the bank discovers the check is fake (and charges you for the full cost of the check plus fines and fees, and possibly even charges you with fraud). This scam relies on the fact that many people don't understand that a check is not "cleared" simply because the bank gave you the cash.

My question is, what is my risk having given out my name, addy, and (cell) phone?

Nothing to worry about.
If the scammer already sent a fake check (they often send themvery fast as they want you to act before you have a chance to think about and question it) then he may harass you a bit to try to get you to follow his instructions (my personal favorite is when scammers try to threaten targets with the FBI), and you may see an increase in scam approaches, but that's the extent of it. Just ignore both.

The important thing is to not attempt to deposit or cash the check. If you receive a check, either take it to the police, shred it, or write FAKE in permanent ink and keep it as a souvenir of how you avoided being scammed.

I got the same type of email----but here's the best part--I decided to scam him back!

I actually corresponded with this guy for several days. Even got him to send me via fed ex a check that I was supposed to cash for the item he wanted to buy. The check he sent was for $3300. The item I was selling was on Craigslist for $330. Of course I emailed him about the mistake. But that was all part of his scam. He wanted me to cash the check, keep the $330 and then give him the remainder when he came to pick up the item. So I said ok--and kept telling him the problems I was having with my bank cashing the check (all of which I totally lied about).

I saved all the emails, still have the check and notified the FTC of the scam.

Notably the check he fed exed to me (which by the way I had him fed ex to my LAW OFFICE) appeared to be a legitimate check drawn on a bank from Kansas.

All in all, I got a total kick out of it.

Welcome to ScamWarners clbren007. We do not support reversing the tables on scammers on this site. It is important to be save when dealing with these criminals / scammers. What you did is called scam baiting and our sister site www.419eater.com does support that activity. There you can learn about being save while turning the tables.

Yes, the checks look very real. They are very forged though. Banks often process the checks and the forgery is discovered long after the money overage has been sent to the scammer by an untraceable method. The victim of the scam then ends up being responsible for the money they have sent that was not ever legitimate. Many people have spent time in jail for this kind of situation.

We are glad you are here. We do want our members to be safe.