Facebook Marketplace scam!

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 19 Sep 2007 Posts: 1

I went along with this one for a while, hoping that it was a legit transaction but it definitely is not haha, check it out..

I get a message from Frank Fred on facebook asking me about a book I had listed for sale. I tell him the deal, and he accepts.

He then tells me that he is going to send me a check with extra funds in it so that a person can come pick the book up. At this point i'm thinking whatever, he's paying for the book and shipping costs.

After several frantic emails from him ([email protected]) he finally gets in touch with me. Apparently the instructions have changed...now i'm not cash a check that he's UPSing to my house, wire the remaining funds after my book to an unknown source and wait for someone to come pick the book up.... sounds fishy.

I wake up this morning to the UPS overnight freight man. Inside the envelope is a check for $2,100...my book was only $30! I have instructions to wire it to someone in Alabama. I'm also told to keep "an extra $30 for my trouble".

I did some searching of the email accounts used, and found a positive ID on the account i'm supposed to wire the money to...check this story i found on the University of Nebraska website.

" Lincoln Police Department received a complaint from an individual on City Campus of receiving a fake check for books being sold on www.facebookmarketplace.com at the beginning of the summer. Persons name used portraying the buyer on the facebook market account was Frank Kay. "Frank's" email address is [email protected] . How the con game works: A student receives a check from someone for several dollars above the asking price for the books.

Instructions with the check are to have the student deduct what is needed for the sale of the books plus a dollar amount for the student's "trouble". The student is then asked to wire the remainder of the money via Western Union to a second party.

What the con persons are attempting to do is have the student withdraw money and wire it before it is found out the check sent to the student is no good. Other names and email address to watch for in this con: Lachana Dias of Philadelphia, J. Broach of Springdale, AR, [email protected] along with the business of TCA, Inc of Southlake, TX. This is the second of such attempts to con students on campus of their money"

the email address i'm told to send the money to? [email protected]

So what should i do from here? I'm obviously not going to cash this check, and i sorta feel like someone should be contacted...like my university police or something. Any suggestions?

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:20 pm

First - He knows who you are. He knows your address. Do NOT bait him. Break off all contact with him immediately.

As for who to contact - there is a good chance the actual wrongdoer is in another country. Thus, prosecution is unlikely (and law enforcement is likely to be not-too-interested).

Send a PM to the mods on this board with the details of any individuals who may be involved (some may be innocent victims) such as J. Broach and Lachana Dias. They will follow up, or notify the right people.

Bruin

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:31 pm

Brun's advice is right, but DO NOT CASH that check. If you decide to just ignore him and not cash the check either mark FAKE all over it or burn it/shred it so that no one thinks you have a design to try to cash it later.

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 3:46 am

If you have a scanner, scan the check and keep the scan for yourself, and police.

A man in San Francisco was actually arrested for attempting to cash one of these fake checks.

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