I visited WU yesterday

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Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 3551

There is a WU outlet at a local grocery, and while there yesterday, I asked the clerk if she knew about advance-fee fraud. She looked at me like I'd just hopped off a Greyhound with a chicken under my arm.

Here were her answers:

Yes, we send $ to you-know-where all the time.

Yes, sometimes the $ are from non-you-know-where citizens.

What is advance-fee fraud? Is this a new virus going around?

(BTW, there was no warning sign there.)

Baiting Guru Joined: 17 Sep 2006 Posts: 5905

In those situations though isn't it the grocery store owner who runs the WU outlet? To be fair it is really not within the job description of a store owner or shop assistant to understand what advance fee fraud is and how it works. Though I feel Western Union need to create more literature to put in places like this.

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 3551

I was disappointed at the lack of knowledge. Perhaps the answer is for me to talk to the store manager about having at least a warning sign.

Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 7:53 pm

It still amazes me that people do believe these scams, or like the clerk, are totally ignorant about them. A co-worker of my brothers was within inches of falling for a check scam. Luckily my bro talked to him before he cashed it.

Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 7:55 pm

Recent discussion:

http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=779900

Baiting Guru Joined: 17 Sep 2006 Posts: 5905

@ pachanga

Probably wouldn't be able to put up a sign unless it was an official Western Union sign but you could try and educate them on the 419 scam so they could spot the tell-tale signs if someone comes into their store attempting to make such a transfer.

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 3551

We have discussed this ad nauseum. Still, the complacency is disgusting. If my elderly parents had fallen for a scheme, I'd want to punch someone's lights out for not questioning them. I guess it is one of those "integrity in the workplace" things.

Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 10:10 pm

I went to the bank to withdraw 1.500 EUR on friday morning. Neither did the lady inform me about the dangers of spending such an amount on booze and hookers nor did she offer to wipe my a$$ on a regular basis. Guess at my age I have to figure out what to do or not to do with my money all by myself. Disgraceful.

Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 11:06 pm

Harry Bawls:

Quote:

It still amazes me that people do believe these scams,

You know, we are surrounded with many rich, good looking, succeeding businessmen and businesswomen. They are not our neighbours, but they are on our TV commercials and programs, they are on newspapers articles, they are starring on movies, they look at us from adds in our bus and train or highway posters while we are on our way to our boring work.

A lot of people stuck in the boring routin want to be like them. They want the fantasy. They are willing to pay for their fantasy. Those scam letters look like an invitation to that fantasy. Here they are, feeling like those big world guys from TV and cinema. They are sending money abroad for some mistery deal that will make them rich and successful. They are acting bravely and they will get their happy end like in the movies.

Its not always about the money. Sometimes they just want to feel special and blessed with good luck. And I'm not sure a small poster on the WU office will break that fantasy very easily. (but of course, they should have that poster, even for the single victim that will get back to his senses because of it).