I received a cashier's check

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 17 Nov 2010 Posts: 5

I have been baiting scammers for a couple years, just for fun. I lead them on and pretend to be an airhead who is falling in love with them and will do whatever they want. Then I misunderstand their directions or my computer/car/phone stops working so I can't do what they want.

An obvious scammer emailed me about a nanny job. I had posted a legitimate ad on craigslist looking for another nanny job. Anyway, I knew right away it wasn't a real job so I did my usual routine, curious to see how he could scam someone who is looking for a job.

I gave him a real PO Box address, so he wouldn't have my home address. I received a cashier's check in the amount of $2199.99. His instructions were to deposit the money in my account, keep $500 for myself for advance payment for watching his son, and then send the rest by western union.

I know not to deposit the check in my account or to send any money by western union.
What I don't know is...

What do I do with the check???

I have tried several times to contact the woman in Washington state who sent it, but no response. I don't know if the money is hers or if it was sent to her by someone else who was also scammed.

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 6:20 pm

The cheque is fake, guaranteed. You would be in trouble for fraud and liable for the $1299 as well as the $799 you sent to the scammer.

Destroy the cheque or mark it unmistakably 'FAKE', read the stickies, and maybe post some details of the scam over at scamwarners.

Welcome, btw Smile

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 17 Nov 2010 Posts: 5

I didn't send any money to the scammer. The check is from a person in University Place, WA, I looked them up and called them and emailed them, but no response.

I think the scammer also scammed this person into sending a check to me, because he is trying to avoid a paper trail.

I'm not convinced that the check is fake. Like I said, it is from a real person.

If it is a real cashier's check, then that means I have $2,199.99 of someone else's money, so I'd like to get it back to them.

Should I send it back to the person who sent it to me?

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 17 Nov 2010 Posts: 5

I've read the stickies and they don't cover this problem.

If a REAL PERSON was scammed, and sent me a REAL CASHIER'S CHECK,
what should I do with the check? Return it to them?

Thanks...

P.S. I already know not to cash it or to send anyone any money. I stated that in the first post.

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 6:44 pm

I suggest you contact one of the mods about this. Also, please check your Private Messages. And... welcome to eater, hartleyrg !

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 6:46 pm

Hi, that person will be a mule, usually an innocent person convinced they have a legitimate 'work from home' job. The cheque is fake. Honestly.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 17 Nov 2010 Posts: 5

Is there any way to find out FOR SURE if a cashier's check is fake?

Not quite a Newb Joined: 09 Mar 2008 Posts: 43

That check is the product of a home printer and has never seen the inside of a bank, bank on it. The name on the check is fraudulent, bank on it. There is no money backing that cashiers check, bank on it. Void and frame it then hang the trophy on the wall next to your stuffed fish.

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 7:00 pm

Hi hartleyrg.

You could take it to a bank and have them look at it but then you may leave yourself open to some awkward questions. Believe me though, it's 100% a fake. The fact that it looks good just means that the mule or the scammer can make a good one. It's not hard to do. If it were, the scam wouldn't work would it?
Just throw the check in the trash. It may look good but there's no way that you're going to receive a genuine one, even if it is from a mule. A scammer certainly wouldn't share any money with you and there are far easier ways for him to avoid leaving a paper trail so that's not his motive in this case.

As for the mule? If you can send a moderator all of the correspondence you've received, they'll run it over to our sister site at www.scamwarners.com and it will be taken care of.

Don't contact the mule yourself. For all you know, they could be a willing accomplice. More likely, they are a victim and will need careful handling.

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 7:03 pm

^^^Truly awesome wisdom!

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 17 Nov 2010 Posts: 5

Thanks so much for all the advice! Smile

Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 11:21 pm

I have always been advised to do to things in this situation.

1) Take the check to your local police department along with all the contact information you have for the scammer. Now I'm not exactly particular to this method of reporting. Police are just plain out lazy a lot of times and theres no guarantee that they will see any priority in this whatsoever..so it's worth a try if you want to go this route but I don't particularly like it.

2) Contact a government agency to give it more visibility and have it pursued by a force with more pull Wink

see: http://www.consumerfraudreporting.org/reporting.php

Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 11:42 pm

I don't know where you live, but I'm pretty sure most police are far from lazy, rather under resourced. The police have to prioritise the crimes they can geta prosecution for, and Duff cheques coming from a scammer in a country they have no jurisdiction in aren't the best use of resources. I imagine most police would love to keep their neighborhoods completely crime free, but are forced to do the best they can with what they've got!

Mark there cheque fake so it isn't cashed by accident before taking it anywhere, or better still just burn it!

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 21 Nov 2010 Posts: 1

Make a photo copy of it, the words either "void" or "copy" should show in the background of the copy. That still doesn't mean its real, but if it doesn't show up, then its a fake.

Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 9:35 am

What the Squirrel said is the best advice you will ever get in this thread

Please post in Scamwarners so the people who deal with this situation all the time can handle it.

Thank you

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