Scammer Question

[JohnnySavage]

So over the years, I am occasionally contacted by scammers spoofing executives with foreign companies. They usually want me to assist them in expensive equipment purchases or purchases of American companies.

The last one actually sent me check via DHL from Hong Kong to hold in escrow for the purchase of mining equipment. Over a million dollars worth. I took the check to the bank, who confirmed it was a fake.

Recently, a Japanese company (supposedly) contacted me to advise them in the purchase of an American company headquartered about two hours away. The email this morning states that they will be sending me a (massive) check to hold in escrow until the closing.

Now I know this is a scam, as these deals are years in the works with teams of attorneys and accountants and wire transfers to major banks and the like. Plus, my company is just a hobby to give me something to do for a few hours a day - no "real" company needs, or would be served, by my advice.

So how do these scammers make money on this? They put a lot of effort into the role play, and the last one even spent $50 to send me a fake check.

 

[Lancecastor]

1. You bank the international cheque
2. They get you to write a cheque from your account to what is actually their american account
3. the first cheque, being international, will bounce after yours to them clears
4. you lose whatever you had in your account

 

[JohnnySavage]

1. You bank the international cheque
2. They get you to write a cheque from your account to what is actually their american account
3. the first cheque, being international, will bounce after yours to them clears
4. you lose whatever you had in your account

But my bank won't release the funds until the deposited check clears. The last check I took the the bank and the nice lady punched some numbers in the computer and called the draftee bank - who said the routing numbers were right but there was no such account number.

 

[jaF0]

1. You bank the international cheque
2. They get you to write a cheque from your account to what is actually their american account
3. the first cheque, being international, will bounce after yours to them clears
4. you lose whatever you had in your account

It's 'check' fuque face. You fuquing Brits can't spell worth a fuque.

 

[jaF0]

But my bank won't release the funds until the deposited check clears.

They won't release the funds to YOU, but they will release the funds to the Turd from your personal check.

You get squat, but they get YOUR money.

Well, you might get squat ... you might get charged fees by your bank for depositing a bad check and you might get charged by police also.

 

[Lancecastor]

But my bank won't release the funds until the deposited check clears. The last check I took the the bank and the nice lady punched some numbers in the computer and called the draftee bank - who said the routing numbers were right but there was no such account number.

1. In the USA, some smaller private banks aren't as rigorous.
2. Some people deposit the funds and send a draft out without waiting or checking on clearing....some people have bank balances big enough to take, you see.

 

[chillywilly2]

It's 'check' fuque face. You fuquing Brits can't spell worth a fuque.

No, it's not...you Americans are just too lazy to write all the letters

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

It's 'check' fuque face. You fuquing Brits can't spell worth a fuque.

You do know he prefers Molson to Guinness...,


Right?

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

So, it's chequemate???

 

[JohnnySavage]

1. In the USA, some smaller private banks aren't as rigorous.
2. Some people deposit the funds and send a draft out without waiting or checking on clearing....some people have bank balances big enough to take, you see.

In that case, they deserve to be scammed. Too stupid to have money.

 

[Lancecastor]

In that case, they deserve to be scammed. Too stupid to have money.

Like all scams, it's a numbers game....approach 1,000 people and get a 1% response, you skim funds from 10 people.

Nigeria's biggest industry.

 

[Not Normal]

I get similar emails, always with the same working. I run a recording studio and they ask about recording 4 singers for 3 hours each. They want to know my rate, if I'm available for a series of dates and what payment I accept. I always try to string them along, asking technical questions, and the like. By the first or second response I'm told the driver to get the talent to and from the studio needs some ridiculous amount, but doesn't accept credit cards so they want to pay me his portion over my fee so I can pay him. I'm also told the contact person will be going in for surgery soon, and won't be able to be at the session. Often they "reveal" that they are hard of hearing. I love to ask them how they know these singers are any good if they are deaf.

If I'm in a mood I can get 6-8 emails of wasting their time.

 

[trysail]

You do know he prefers Molson to Guinness...,

Right?

I like the way you put that; it's excellent "wordsmithing."


​

 

[oggbashan]

When I was running a business I used to get invoices for advertising in trade magazines. They informed me that the advert had been ordered by my marketing department, would appear in four consecutive issues, and please could I set up a direct debit to pay for the next three issues.

I was a one-man business. According to our local Trading Standards office about a dozen local businesses a month fell for the scam.

 

[jaF0]

You do know he prefers Molson to Guinness...,


Right?

Canuckistanians are still Brits. You can tell by the way they spell.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

Canuckistanians are still Brits. You can tell by the way they smell.

Indeed.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

I like the way you put that; it's excellent "wordsmithing."


​

:Bows:

 

[jaF0]

Indeed.

Maple-ish.

 

[Hypoxia]

Like all scams, it's a numbers game....approach 1,000 people and get a 1% response, you skim funds from 10 people.

Nigeria's biggest industry.

Trolling for suckers. It plays in many ways.

I used to be a trader in camera lenses on eBay. Buy for a little, sell for somewhat more, get lucky sometimes, never lose much. I built myself fine lens sets that were paid for by other sales.

Some sellers definitely trolled for suckers. Offer a common, not-great-quality, dirt-cheap lens, one that usually sells for ten or twenty bucks, like a Meyer / Pentacon Domiplan 50/2.8 -- tens of millions were made. Now snag a sucker. Set the opening bid at around a thousand bucks. Any half-savvy buy skips right by. But then... a sucker bites. We don't need many. One or two sales a week like that generates a nice cashflow. And the seller needn't lie or cheat, merely await the small but constant trickle of fools.

HL Mencken said, "Nobody ever lost money underestimating the intelligence of the American public." PT Barnum was more succinct{ "There's one born every minute." Set your bait and the fools will come.

 

[Lancecastor]

When I was running a business I used to get invoices for advertising in trade magazines. They informed me that the advert had been ordered by my marketing department, would appear in four consecutive issues, and please could I set up a direct debit to pay for the next three issues.

I was a one-man business. According to our local Trading Standards office about a dozen local businesses a month fell for the scam.

this is not an
INVOICE
for Yellow Pages advertising​

 

[oggbashan]

this is not an
INVOICE
for Yellow Pages advertising​

Exactly.

 

[MGurkus]

Cheque republic.