good at what they do...
As a follow up, and to make people aware of how good the scammers are, I offer the following TRUE story:
A co-worker of my listed a used auto on Craigslist in 2002. Cheap car...$2800.
He received what seemed like a legit email from an brokers office saying they had a buyer over seas for this vehicle, and would handle the shipping themselves. After a reply, he (the seller, my co-worker) asked for a phone call, and received it right away. The buyer was willing to forward the bank check (as opposed to personal check), drawn on a United States bank to him, in advance, and then he (the buyer) would arrainge for a transport company to pick up the vehicle.
A day goes by, and a check arrives for $3700. $900 too much. After calling the buyer (the broker's office), he speaks with a secretary, who says she will look into the matter and return his call. She calls in an hour, saying the overseas buyer send their office one check to cover the vehicle and shipping, and she accidentally forwarded the whole amount to him.And would you (my co-worker) please refund the $900 to us, as we have already contracted with a shipping company.
The check is deposited into the sellers account, and he waits 2 or 3 days. He calls the bank, and THEY STATE THE MONEY IS NOW AVAILABLE. So he issues the $900 refund via his own bank check. Couple of days go by, and he receives a notice from his bank that the check is not cashable (the original $3700 check). And of course the $900 has been cashed.
It turns out, by law, the bank had to make the $3700 available after 2 business days, but it had not reached the bank on the west coast. His account was charged back the $3700, and he lost the $900 he had sent out. Believe me, this guy explored every avenue, every one. The bank is not liable for clearing the check. It was a very good fraud, drawn on an actuall bank, using numbers that seemed to make sense to a trained eye.
So....maybe someone will learn from this story.
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