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View Full Version : Ahhh, Help, I Dunno What To Do!



atcphil
12-06-2004, 04:14 PM
Hi all,

Ok i have a problem, and need help, i have sold my huge satilite dish and receiver to some guy from cape town south africa (it receives worldwide TV)

And hes sent me a cheque via ups for £4000*** - WTF ? its only £2000*** and shipping i want!

Now he wont let me send it via my delivery company, he wants his shippers to pick it up and i pay them with the change? but i keep a big cut of the cheque?!

So when and if the cheque clears he will want me to pay western union to his shippers and then they will collect the stuff when i give them a date and time?!

Now this guy said he speaks to his friend regarding the cheque and his friend got it sent via ups couriour which i got the cheque today (he sent it friday)

Now the cheque has a UK buisness address and is with one of the local bank names HSBC,

Is this a scam? is this money laundering? or is it legit?

If the cheque bounces im gonna have a bill to pay which is £30***!

The cheque looks and seems legit, i put it with another cheque and it seems good, i can see through the paper in the light, as i said it looks a legit cheque!

Ive heard of scams and stuff like this, where they send you a cheque and they want you to send the cash as soon as you get the cheque, so you pay them then that cheque bounces, but he wants me to wait till it clears!!!

But WHY have i got a UK cheque and hes in south africa? and his mate sent it?

its a buisness address, and ive found out about them online and the bank address on the cheque matches, like i said its a good cheque and all seems legit on it!

whats going on, please help!



***
£4,000.00 = $7,766.72
£2,000.00 = $3,884.00
£30 = $58.25

MTS
12-06-2004, 04:24 PM
sounds like a scam to me, rip up the check and tell the guy to go **** himself

TheOlderFox
12-06-2004, 04:31 PM
This is an on-going SCAM. Stay clear and notify your local police to verify his identity. You see warnings like this everywhere when people get a check from somewhere in Africa (where the Gov't doesn't prosecute) saying that they are going to give to more than the amount and for you to cut a check to their shipper for the extra. This way you are out of your merchandise and your money and there is nothing you can do about it. You need to get this investigated. If it turns out this is legit, then you can make the arrangements. Tell the guy that it will just take a little longer to finish up the transaction because you want to cover your own butt when it comes to large sums of money and international business.

TheOlderFox
12-06-2004, 04:33 PM
Here is one example I found. Check these out using Google
http://www.dropbears.com/bikelinks/africa_scam.htm

atcphil
12-06-2004, 04:38 PM
damn, i got my hopes up so much for this cheque!

Could i try it. and wait a few weeks and see if the money gets taken out, ill just keep delaying him.....

As i said this cheque looks so legit, it cant be fake!

4cylinders
12-06-2004, 04:45 PM
hey, take it to your bank, talk to a banker, have them check out the bank code. they should be able to trace it, if not, it's bad. we had one like that, no such bank, Interpol aught to bust these people.

atcphil
12-06-2004, 05:02 PM
the bank exists!
and the company! i checked all the address out!

I have put it to another cheque and its perfect, it couldnt be stolen could it?

how would he get a UK cheque book? i dread to think, theres no goverment law in africa!

i can cash it, and the when it clears close my account straght away! then nothing can happen can it?

OldSchoolin86
12-06-2004, 05:06 PM
Cash it and tell him you need 2 weeks for it to clear. After 2 weeks if both banks have cleared it then finish the deal. Just remember you need the extra time to make sure that the other bank clears too.

atcphil
12-06-2004, 05:17 PM
yeh!

they say 10 days, but ill keep it there 2 weeks, to be safe, do i count weekends though, im not sure how US banks work and UK banks so there could be a difference!

it only seems suss as this is a UK cheque and hes in south africa!

Like i said, i should cash it, and close my savings account, they cant touch me then :)

TheOlderFox
12-06-2004, 07:00 PM
It would be counted in business days Mon-fri without Holidays.

Quickonstep
12-06-2004, 07:26 PM
tell him you need to wait 30 days, no if ands or buts about it... it sounds awfully close to the "algerian scam" and is quite popular with people on ebay... they send you a check but its a couple thousand over what the orignal deal was, you go cash it, send it off, check doesnt clear cuz its COUNTERFEIT, and your stuck with nothing, and heres the kicker, they can *get away* with it because they are international, feds cant do nothing, it has to get taken care of over there.. the reason they want to use there shipper is becuase the shipper will usually give a boink address and really throw you off.. a buddy of mine had this happen to him... 400 bux for jetski parts and recieves a cashiers check for 3000 bux... sure enough it was counterfeit...

deposit it, tell them you are suspicoius of it, if it clears then it wasnt counterfiet, if it doesnt, then it was, you tell the guy (mugu) to go blow his brains out... end of story

Jesse

atcphil
12-07-2004, 04:00 AM
ok, ill cash it, and see what happens?

does the cheque actually clear into my account, and then days later the money is took back, or will it instanlty bounce?

as its a buisness address on the cheque, and its a WORLD-WIDE distrubtor, so they are going to have money in there accounts!

Mobular
12-07-2004, 12:33 PM
DO NOT CASH IT!~ It's a twist on the Nigerian scam! Read about it here. Do the bad guys have your phone #, or address?. You will be harrassed if you attempt to cash it and do not follow through with the deal. Just report the sale and cheque to the local authorities.

http://www.scambusters.org/NigerianFee.html

OldSchoolin86
12-07-2004, 12:40 PM
DO NOT CASH IT!~ It's a twist on the Nigerian scam! Read about it here. Do the bad guys have your phone #, or address?. You will be harrassed if you attempt to cash it and do not follow through with the deal. Just report the sale and cheque to the local authorities.

http://www.scambusters.org/NigerianFee.html

If it cashes and clears both banks way wouldn't you finish the deal?

atcphil
12-07-2004, 02:17 PM
they have my address and mobile number thats all...

ive cashed the cheque, the bank said it will be cleared thursday, ive been told get it straght out, and close that account, so nothing more can happen!

whats the worst, i have $7,766.72!

atcphil
12-07-2004, 02:19 PM
o and ill also give it like 2 weeks and see if anything has happened, then if not ill send the stuff!

everyone is happy

atcphil
12-07-2004, 02:50 PM
I read a page on these scams and seen this line!


There have been reports of such disappearances, and an American 419 victim was murdered in Lagos, Nigeria in 1995.

the bastards! there is no such word as LAW in those countries!

Jez
12-07-2004, 03:30 PM
Yeah, be careful Phil. A cheque can be returned to a bank at anytime and obviously, as your bank will have all your details, they can (and will) come to you for the debt, even if you have closed the account.

Take this scenario. It's company cheque book that has been stolen. The company takes a month or more to reconcile it's bank account and doesn't notice it until the accounts department cannot reconcile that cheque to their accounts. It's then queried with their bank and hey presto, your bank is coming to you for £4,000 which you legally have to pay back, as you are in effect "receiving stolen goods/monies" and for all they know, as you have received the money, you are behind the scam. They try to prosecute you and worst case, you end up with a criminal conviction, best case, you're out of pocket £4,000 and a satelite dish.

As you've already cashed the cheque, make sure your bank is aware of your suspicions and ask them to verify that the issuing bank can indeed confirm that they are happy that it's not a scam BEFORE you send the goods. As part of the UK Anti-Fraud laws, your bank will HAVE to follow this up if you mention it to them otherwise they will not be able to come back to you for the money if it does turn out to be a scam, as it's negligence on their part. All they have to do is get the issuing bank to phone their customer (the company who's name is on the cheque) and ask for formal confirmation. Simple as that. They all have Anti-Fraud departments that deal with this kind of thing everyday, so it's no hassle for them at all.

Seriously mate, be careful and make sure you get the confirmation from your bank in writing.

Cheers,
Jez

Mobular
12-07-2004, 04:31 PM
If it cashes and clears both banks way wouldn't you finish the deal?

It's a documented scam! When it turns out to be so, the bank will take any and all legal action to recover their money, account or not. Be warned!

atcphil
12-07-2004, 07:13 PM
thanks guys,

ill go to the bank tomorrow or thursday and see about this!

Really want the £4000, but thats what its about, the TEMPTATION ARGGHHH

azhondagrl
12-07-2004, 07:33 PM
DUDE!!!! don't cash it. honestly, don't. It is a big scam, and the guy will magically dissapear when the check doesn't clear.

atcphil
12-08-2004, 02:11 PM
Well today i went to the machine to check my balance, and the ATM says card declined please see your bank, so off i go to the bank, and they went off and come back 10 mins, and said if you can take a seat someone will be with you now,

so a few mins later some one comes out and i go in the office, and they asked me if i put a cheque in, i said yes yesterday for £4000, they said well its come back returned, and head office want to close you account,

so i asked why, they said she doesnt know and that head office just want to close your account, so i tolt this woman everything i know, she wasnt even suprised, she just wrote it down, i said do i go to the police, she said no cause theres no point, as this person is in another country, so she wrote it all down and i left, leaving my card behind and a signed closed account sheet :wondering


the trailprotrailprotrailprotrailprotrailprotrailprotrailpro, he promised everything was cool, which i found hard to beleive and that i was to wait till the cheque clears, THEN he had the CHEEK to say regards to your family! cheeky twat!

well that episdoe is over now, thansk for all your advice :beer

OldSchoolin86
12-08-2004, 02:45 PM
Well today i went to the machine to check my balance, and the ATM says card declined please see your bank, so off i go to the bank, and they went off and come back 10 mins, and said if you can take a seat someone will be with you now,

so a few mins later some one comes out and i go in the office, and they asked me if i put a cheque in, i said yes yesterday for £4000, they said well its come back returned, and head office want to close you account,

so i asked why, they said she doesnt know and that head office just want to close your account, so i tolt this woman everything i know, she wasnt even suprised, she just wrote it down, i said do i go to the police, she said no cause theres no point, as this person is in another country, so she wrote it all down and i left, leaving my card behind and a signed closed account sheet :wondering


the trailprotrailprotrailprotrailprotrailprotrailprotrailpro, he promised everything was cool, which i found hard to beleive and that i was to wait till the cheque clears, THEN he had the CHEEK to say regards to your family! cheeky twat!

well that episdoe is over now, thansk for all your advice :beer

What the hell? I know my bank wouldn't close my account for someone elses scam. It makes no sence that you got in trouble here. Sorry man.

atcphil
12-08-2004, 03:56 PM
i know, its stupid, i questioned her and argued, all i got was i dont know nothing, head office just want to close your account, its a battle your not going to win GRRR

I said let me speak to head office, she used the excuse, the lady dealing with it is on her lunch, i didnt want to hang round so i went, ill go find a better bank!

azhondagrl
12-08-2004, 04:29 PM
because you were techincally part of the scam...even though you were just the innocent one, for all they know you are part of it trying to scam the bank and then dissapear too......I had a bad feeling about reading all this...its international money laundering, its stuff the FBI deals with...not something petty and little. Sorry it didn't work out for ya though....

atcphil
12-08-2004, 04:48 PM
thanks, bit gutted, but glad it turned out fake NOW not later when i have the -£4000 in my bank :( and the debt collectors are taking everything from me!