Is This a Scam?

[samantha_bender]

I just received an email from a person from the UK (I live in the US) -

apparently he is having an event he'd like me to photograph about an hour or two

away from where I live in a few months...but, here's the catch.

He says he can only pay me with a Cashier's check months before the event even

takes place. The cashier's check will be made out for at least $3,000 more than

I am charging him - I am supposed to cash the check and send the extra $3,000 by

way of Western union money transfer to his traveling agent, so he can buy him a

ticket to come over here.

Honestly, in my gut this feels like it might be a scam - I told him I'd only

accept cash but he insists on cashier's checks and money orders...and I think

I've heard about money order and cashier's checks being part of a scam.

If you have any advice or experience on this, I would really appreciate it.

Thank you!

[steve_levine]

If you have to ask, then it probably is.........

[george_lupton]

Sounds about as dodgy as a bottle of chips (french fries). to me it sounds like they are trying

to scam a flight from someone as opposed to trying to scam you. i would steer clear.

[shawn_coulter___fargo__nd]

I work in banking as well as have my own studio. Trust me this IS a scam. Don't do it. The cashiers check will come back as fake and you will be responsible for paying the bank back the $3000.

[ericreagan]

As attractive as it sounds, your gut is right.

<p>

<a href="http://www.joewein.de/sw/fraud-wedding-photographer.htm">Look here</a>

<p>

<a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=006Cq4">and here</a>

<p>

<a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00EjOc&tag=">and here</a>

<p>

<a href="http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=12151">and here</a>

<p>

<a href="http://www.betterphoto.com/forms/QnAdetail.asp?threadID=24507">and here</a>

<p>

Cheers,

<p>

Eric

[ned1]

As Sky Masterson said in Guys and Dolls: "My father once said to me, Sky, some day a man will come to you with an unopened pack of cards and bet you $50 that he can make the Jack of Spades leap from the deck and spit cider in your face. Son, do not take this bet, for you will surely wind up with an ear full of cider."

[michaelkh]

It is an obvious scam.

 

You cash the cheque, you forward the $3,000 via western union, and the $3,000 is gone.

Later, your bank informs you that the cashier's cheque was fraudulent... and guess who's

liable for the $3,000 you already paid out?

 

Hint: it's not your bank.

[russ_butner___portland__or]

Samantha

 

YES! It's a scam. It's been going on for some time now. Our local paper and TV station just did a piece on it. They send you a fake check, you then draw the $3000.00 out of your account for the money order. When their fake check bounces, you are still responsible for repaying the $3000.00 to the bank. Even our local bank, sent out SCAM alerts on it. DO NOT DO IT!

 

Russ

[andre_noble4]

It's scary you had to even ask if it's a scam. This wasn't even close. I am concerned about you.

[wedding-photography-denver]

Oh yeah.

[bill_thorlin]

Such a straight deal you could pull the cork from a bottle of wine with it.

[ptucci]

When I read the title, I was expecting a new twist on the old scam. No such luck; same old scam.

[35mmdelux]

annoying as it is irratating old scam.

[j_c38]

Save yourself the time and just send me $3000. The end result will be the same. You will be out $3000.

 

Same old scam. I can't believe people are still falling for this.

[tammie_p]

Hi, I usually just read and absorb here however, I have had a simular request on an "auction" site. Seeing as this is months from now....Tell whomever that you will gladly accept his check and forward his money....just as soon as his check clears! I guarantee he will leave you alone. I checked with my bank and I was told that it could take up to 30 days for an international cashiers check to clear. (curiosity more than anything.) I just relayed all this information to the interested party and what do you know...never heard from them again. It was sweet.

[austinphoto]

I've just received one of those checks. Of course I didn't cash it, but it sure looks good! I called the bank and asked for their fraud division. When connected to them, they told me not to bother putting it in because it probably is a fraud. I asked if they needed the account # to notify the person that $$$$ is drawn on their bank account # or stop their checking from being ripped off. They told me they can't do a thing about and didn't seem to care. Called the police, they didn't care. No one in the business of stopping fraud seemed to care. I am most surprised that the bank didn't care! I guess they can afford to take the loss!

[ravi_swamy]

Would you like to buy a bridge in Brooklyn?

[al_kaplan1]

Samantha,don't waste your time and money sending the $3,000 to JC, as much as he'd like it. Instead, send me only $2,000 and I'll even treat you to a nice dinner next time you're in Miami ;-)

[shawn_coulter___fargo__nd]

ABE - Don't worry about the banks. They aren't the ones who are losing the money. It's the client who cashes it and forwards the money who is out the $3000.

[tholte]

With all these cashier check scams going on, why don't banks take a little more responsibility in the matter? The least they could do is warn the chump trying to cash them that the check may not be legitimate, especially if the check is from an out of town or foriegn bank. No wonder people dislike bankers almost as much as they do lawyers.

[andre_noble4]

What's weird is society really doesn't want to pursue fraud or white collar crime. But a jury will sure get sanctimonius and convict a homeless man of stealing a loaf of bread (or is more often the case, a 40 ounce beer) with pleasure.

[akajohndoe]

Is This a Scam?

 

Duh. They're easier to forge than PayPal (which by the way is not all that easy).

[laurenm]

as for the police or anyone doing anything about it... We had a scam "experience" My boyfriend had been contacted about a job through his ad on monster.com. The guy asked for resume, he sent it, guy then had our address and just went ahead and sent three - $10,000 checks with instructions. We contacted both the FBI and some fraud investigation group that we found online. FBI did not want copies of checks or anything. They were interested and made note of the exact scam, but basically, they said since it is operated out of the country, they can't catch anyone. They use disposable cell phones, and phony named email address, etc... and they move around a lot.

 

Media should give this lots of attention as I'm sure there are elderly and hard up people, who are falling for these things or the scam wouldn't continue.

[iskandar_azaman___kuala_lu]

Hey...i still have a bank account in the UK. Tell him no need cashiers cheque and send it to your friend's bank account in the UK (that's my account by the way). Tell him i can have someone personally deliver an envelope full of cash to this 'so called travel agent'. This will make his life easier as well.

 

Tell me if he takes up that offer.

[medina photography cherry]

Call the FBI and report it. This is as old as the internet.