FREE MONEY!
LOL
Posted on 08/06/2010 11:23:06 AM PDT by Squawk 8888
Here's a scam I haven't seen before, so FReepers beware. It's a variation on the "eBay overpayment". The perp is tageting individuals in Canada and the USA. They operate under the name Magnum Solution (www.magnumsolution.com).
Here's how it works:
1. They place a "help wanted" ad in the local newspaper (I saw the ad in the Toronto Sun) seeking "mystery shoppers" to evaluate service at retail outlets. Candidates are directed to register at their website. So far it looks like it could be legit as they are only seeking contact info.
2. They sent me a letter in mail telling me that I've been accepted, and they provided me with a cheque for $1,500. The cheque is to cover the cost of my first "assignent" for them. I was instructed to cash the cheque, wire $1,300 to an overseas recipient, then complete a questionnaire about the service provided by the wire transfer company. The $200 difference was allegedly to cover my fee and expenses.
A quick call to the bank on which the cheque was drawn confirmed that it was a scam, and the bank thanked me for bringing it to their attention.
Canada ping for Clive, “dumb fraudster” non-ping for S&A.
Old as the hills....
WHAT??? You mean those Nigerian princes I’ve been sending money to all these years AREN’T LEGIT??!?!?!???
Let me guess....the overseas recipient was in the Cheque Republic.
Another one involves an exotic pet from overseas.
Yep —Nigerians.
if you wire the $1,300 to my account I’ll promise to split it with you. $200 to me and $1,000 to you.
That’s the classic Nigerian bank scam.
The check is bogus and when it finally gets rejected a week or two later you’re stuck holding the bag.
Yes, the scheme is nuts. But the scammers count on that small percentage of the populace whose greed allows them to be fooled. I’ve received many similar scams by email. The crooks send out hundreds of thousands to easily obtainable lists, often using hacked email accounts.
...when it seems to be too good to believe; it probably is...
The purpose of the call was to give the bank a heads up- they’re a local bank and I’m guess they’re gonna be dealing with a deluge of these cheques.
So you found out the $1,500 check was bogus.
Which is what sent my BS meter pinging. There is NO way that a legit company would send that kind of money to a new hire without a background check.
The cheque was real but the account was empty. The bank will lose on this because even though they can bounce them, they won’t recoup their expenses from processing and bouncing them. Operators like this are why it is so difficult to open a business account nowadays.
my wifes best friend responded to an employment ad on craigslist. seems a hollywood movie agent was moving to dallas and needed a nanny type helper. when our friend “got the job” she was sent a check and told to cash it and give a small bit of it to someone locally for something or other. just a variation on the scam but sadly targeting people who need work
Yeah, I think there should be a special section in Hell reserved for those who prey on the desperate.
FREE MONEY!
LOL
Boo! [throwing tomatoes] Booooo!
;-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.