Roommate scam, what should I do?

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 7

Okay, so from the beginning when this person emailed me, I was extremely suspicious. She has been contacting me via email and yahoo messenger and always tells me way too much about herself, but I've been just going along with it for now. Today I received an email with the tracking number for a fedex package that is supposed to arrive to me Monday, April 5th containing 2 money orders for $900. I don't think I even ever told her how much to send. The room on roommates.com was listed for $600 rent. So now that I have money (or fake money orders anyway) arriving Monday, what should I do? How should I respond to this? Anyway, here's her latest email:

Hi Colin,

Good morning...I hope you slept fine. I just read back from my friend Mark anthony. He sent you the payment from Alabama. Email me once you receive it today or tomorrow... It is going to be 2 pcs of Money Orders $900 each and it will be delivered by Fedex. Its tracking number is .... 872624229709. You can either deposit it for an over-night clearing. It's a money order so it should clear after 24hrs and the cash can be available on Monday. I'll be waiting to hear from you so we can talk more once you get the payment. If there is any question you want to ask, please do. I can move in by next coming weekend, but it depends on you friend. Which date is it good for me to move in?
I thought of it now that you have not wrote about yourself much to me but i have faith that you are a good person and i would love to meet you soon..For now i'm going to be resting during this weekend indoor so i can recover and gain back my health quickly... I hope to hear from you soon. Have a nice day.

Stay happy.
Debby

Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 5:24 pm

Report the package to FedEx as suspicious, tell them about the scam emails you've had, etc. It'll be paid for on a stolen credit card, so they can close that account and stop more cheques going to more people. When the scammer hassles you, tell them FedEx had contacted you about some fake or stolen cheques that they stopped in transit, and how could 'she' betray your trust like this, etc., and that they should never contact you again...

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 3123

Also, our sister site, Scamwarners, would be a good place to put a copy of this up so that someone else doesn't end up being scammed.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 7

FedEx told me all they could do was stop the package from arriving and that if I wanted to do anything further I would have to contact my local police department. Should I contact them and provide them with these counterfeit money orders?

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 7

Also of note: The sender really is someone named Mark Anthony with a business in Miami, FL but the payment was sent from Alabama.

Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 6:01 pm

inkarnit

Hi and welcome to 419eater

Have you checked the email headers to see where they are coming from.
You can do that here:
http://headertool.apelord.com/

copy and paste the header, it will give general area of origination.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 7

I don't really know what you are referring to as the "email header." She's sending the emails from a yahoo email address, though.

Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 6:14 pm

If you have Yahoo click 'action' top right of email screen, click 'view full header' copy & paste to http://headertool.apelord.com/ , click check header

Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 6:18 pm

You do not want to receive the package, so tell them to retain it, and pass it to their security department for investigation.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 7

Haha.

41.155.63.178 Nigeria*

Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 6:21 pm

Did she say where she is now? I don't think someone in Nigeria is really looking for a roommate in the US Rolling Eyes

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 7

I clicked on the Nigerian address "Whois" button and got:
% This is the AfriNIC Whois server.

% Note: this output has been filtered.

% Information related to '41.155.63.0 - 41.155.63.255'

inetnum: 41.155.63.0 - 41.155.63.255
netname: STARCOMMS-20081218
descr: Dial pool subnet for Lagos subscribers
country: NG
admin-c: CM9-AFRINIC
tech-c: CM9-AFRINIC
status: ASSIGNED PA
mnt-by: STARCOMMS-MNT
source: AFRINIC # Filtered
parent: 41.155.0.0 - 41.155.127.255

person: Catalin Miclaus
address: Plot 1261C, Bishop Kale Close, off Saka Tinubu
phone: +234-1-8041234
fax-no: +234-1-8110301
e-mail: *******@starcomms.com
nic-hdl: CM9-AFRINIC
source: AFRINIC # Filtered

How accurate is that information? Is this the person trying to scam me?

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 7

Yeah, she is supposedly in Colorado right now but moving to where I am in Jacksonville, FL.

Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 6:25 pm

inkarnit

Since you are already here, stick around Visit Eater University here
This will get you a mentor. Read the stickies, Bait Safe and most of all Have Fun !!

Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:07 pm

Welcome here Inkarnit.

The apelord headertool that Seamless told you about, will come in handy next time you get a suspicious email. The name Mark Anthony is used by several scammers, it's likely that it's not a real person. A lot of scammers have associates or mules in the USA that they use to sent packages.
And as Craig007 said, you could go to our sister site http://www.scamwarners.com and post the scammers emails there. It could save another possible victim.

Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 9:52 pm

The USPS is a government agency and cracked down on mail fraud. For this reason the fraud checks almost always are shipped by another private carrier. If you ever get a real roommate, have them send it by USPS certified letter. If it is then fraudulent, then legal action against the sender is much easier. Fake checks are almost never sent by USPS certified mail. I insist on any Money Order, Check, etc to be sent by USPS certified mail only. It tends to help weed out the fakes who use any excuse to use any other delivery.

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 10:05 am

I see that the package is in Jacksonville, FL. but it's marked as 'Package not due for delivery'

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 1:40 pm

Hopefully not due for delivery as the OP got FedEx security to intercept as it's on a stolen card/account...if it were a bait as opposed to involving RL details it would be perfect for accusing the lad of not being serious, etc. As-is, better that FedEx security hold the fake cheques and suspend the FedEx account to hopefully stop more fake cheques en-route to vics?!

Master Baiter Joined: 24 Mar 2009 Posts: 128

I'm a sidekick!!! & I'm having the feeling that "debby" is really a MAN!! and that when you get the money orders that , according to "debby" "should clear in 24 hours" Yeah, "she" sure Hopes it "clears" in 24 hours, because the longer you/the bank has the money orders the chances are that you will find out what they are really trying to do to you!! Some thing is going to happen to "debi", she could get into a turrible/ghastly accident and won't be able to get to Jacksonville!!! Or some family/friend is going to get horrible SICK!! "she" is going to need that money real BAD!! and you are going to be asked to go to your bank and take out the money that SHOULD be there from those fake MO's. If you were to take that money out of your bank and send it to "her", in several days your bank would notify you that they were fakes, and that YOU now are overdrawn!! "debby" of course would no longer write you her friendly letters!! and she will never pay you back either!! Oh, and "mark anthony" is a fictional character in "debby's" little thieving charade!! But now you have a one up on "debby", who is not going to get anything from you!!! but a pain in the @ss!! Tee Hee

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 8:29 am

If the checks do get deliverd to you, mark them as bad. Write the lad right back and let him know the great news that the checks arrived.

Due to bad checks in the past, any checks from a 3rd party account have a 30 day waiting period for the check to clear. Thank him for his patience and the apartment is reserved for his immediate arrival.

Watch them squirm trying to get part of the money before it clears. They don't want to wait for the bounce.

They will of course wish to cancel and get a refund wired.. but the check is held by the bank. Offer to send them back the check, shipping collect..

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