A New Kind of Scam??

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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 4:30 am

Today when I got home from work, I pulled a handful of mail out of the mailbox and discovered a scam.

It's the usual Lotto Winner, but with a couple of twists.
1) There is a check, for almost $4000 (US) and this check looks REALLY real.
2) It's in my frakkin' Snail Mail Box! (Note, I have NEVER used this address - my home address - for any scambaiting. This means that this scam is sent to me blind. Which also means I"m not the only one to get one.)

The things which screamed out at me about this are the obvious.
Envelope has a Home Depot logo in the Return address area.
Bulk Mail logo - From CANADA.
Letter is from some organization out of Oxford, UK and carries the admonishment to keep the 'win' a secret until I have the money in my hand.
The check is real. Even the security Thermochromatic emblem works! It is drawn on a company out of Wisconsin (USA) and is made out to ME.

Now, you don't need to lecture me, I know this is a scam I am posting this as a warning to others and for educational purposes and to offer it to anyone who wants it.

I have scans of the items but I don't want to post them here, as they are on my personal webspace.
You might find them here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?3y25uu1x814ka
OR -ADMINS - if you would be so kind, I can send them in and you can post them here.

Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 4:43 am

Marvinator!

It's wonderful to see you on the forums! We've missed you! Very Happy

Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 4:43 am

Very glad to see you here again, Marvinator.

A few of my friends have gotten those same checks. They are scary realistic. It's easy to see how people fall for that, especially by snail mail and a totally realistic check enclosed. This kind of scam is expensive to execute but the potential results are way higher than the usual email scam. The only defense is education so it may well be worth contacting your local newspaper or TV to discuss the prevalence of scams, and the victimization particularly of the elderly (not that I'm saying you're in that group Wink

).

Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 9:51 am

Are they genuine cheques but sent out as under false pretences? Is the company in Wisconsin being fiddled?

Marvinator - good to see you again Smile

Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 2:09 pm

It's good to be back, I wish I had more time to hang out here.

The check is so scary good that this morning I edited the check scan to black out the magnetic numbers at the bottom. I believe this is a stolen check as I just ran the company name online and found them - the logo is exact and everything. I think by the time they found the check to be stolen, and then traced it back to the victim, the scammers would be long gone.

Yes I may just contact the papers and see what they think.

Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 2:38 pm

^^^Glad you are back and thanks for the use of your forms.

http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=219579

Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 3:30 pm

^^^ Speaking of forms, is that one at TheDanes site? I can no longer download photos from PhotoBucket. Been that way since they changed their website.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Marvinator...

I've hated him forever because he is so damn good.

WB

Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 4:02 pm

The address in the UK doesn't exist (although the post code is accurate for Oxford UK)- there are a few 'Bay Streets' in Canada according to Google maps.
The contact number is Canadian.

No UK company would use 'inc'

Worrying though..

WB Marvinator!

Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 1:23 am

I know someone who received a similar check also from some company in Canada, but that was around 3 years ago if not more. I don't remember what company it was but I can say its not that new of a scam.

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 9:04 pm

The news wasn't interested. They said they've heard all this before.
Oh well, I may contact the company that issued the check and see if they want it back.

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:11 pm

Hey Marv,
good to see you're dropping in when time allows, missed your productions, but it thought me to bait without anything I have to send to my friends, just copy and paste a lot
Cya later