What Happens If You DO Cash The Check?
Real Life Story of a Victim of a Fake Payment Scam
This one involving "Shao Fung" of "Delixi Corp"
If you've wondered what happens if you did cash a forged or fake
check form that job as a "payment transfer manager", read this note from an
actual victim (We're sorry about the all capitals print, but that was what he
wrote. To make it easier to read, we highlighted key passages):
I FOUND THIS WEBSITE (Consumer Fraud Reporting) WHILE
SURFING AROUND AND DECIDED I WANTED TO POST A MESSAGE. I HOPE OTHERS READ THIS
AND LEARN FROM MY MISTAKE.
I GOT AN EMAIL ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS AGO FROM A GUY NAMED
SHAO FUNG WHO IDENTIFIED HIMSELF
AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF DELIXI CORP.
SHAO WAS INQUIRING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF ME WORKING
FOR DELIXI AS A PAYMENT REPRESENTATIVE.
ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MAKE EXTRA MONEY, I DECIDED TO RESPOND TO THE OFFER.
TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT
I RECEIVED A CHECK AND ATTEMPTED TO CASH
IT AT A CHECK CASHING PLACE. THE CLERK CALLED THE POLICE AFTER
APPARENTLY CALLING THE BANK AND THE PLACE FROM WHERE THE CHECK WAS SUPPOSEDLY
ISSUED FROM AND HAD ME ARRESTED FOR
FORGERY. I GOT TO SPEND A
WONDERFUL THIRTY DAYS IN THE DENVER COUNTY JAIL BEFORE I WAS RELEASED.
AFTER BEING RELEASED WE WENT TO COURT.
JUST TO LET YOU KNOW I HAVE A PREVIOUS CONVICTION FOR
THEFT FROM ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO BUT I WAS NOT TRYING TO DO ANYTHING ILLEGAL IN
THIS SITUATION, ONLY TRYING TO MAKE EXTRA MONEY AS I AM CURRENTLY PAYING
RESTITUTION ON THE FIRST CONVICTION.
ANYWAY MY ATTORNEY BASICALLY ROLLED OVER LIKE A DOG AND
SHE TALKED ME INTO ACCEPTING A CONVICTION ON THE FORGERY CHARGE WITH PROBATION
TO RUN CONCURRENT WITH MY FIRST CONVICTION.
I AM ALSO A RECOVERING ALCOHOLIC AND AFTER COURT WAS
OUT THAT DAY I WENT OUT AND GOT REALLY HAMMERED. FELL OFF THE WAGON FOR THE
FIRST TIME IN THREE YEARS. I DON'T THINK IT HELPED THAT MY ATTORNEY APPARENTLY
ALSO HAD A HIGH PROFILE MURDER CASE SHE WAS WORKING ON. SHE DIDN'T SEEM TO
CONCERN WITH MY CASE.
I WAS RIDING THE BUS ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO AND STRUCK UP
A CONVERSATION WITH A GENTLEMAN. HE IS IN THE PROCESS OF SUING THE DENVER
COLORADO POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR EXCESSIVE FORCE. CLAIMED HE WAS TASERED WHILE
LAYING ON THE GROUND NOT MOVING. HE EXPLAINED SOMETHING TO ME-APPARENTLY WHEN A
CRIME IS COMMITTED, A PERSON HAS TO BE PROVEN TO KNOWINGLY, WILLINGLY, AND
INTENTIONALY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO BREAK THE LAW.
I WAS NOT DOING THIS, I WAS JUST TRYING TO MAKE EXTRA
MONEY TO MAKE UP FOR THE MONEY I WAS HAVING WITHHELD MY PAYCHECK TO PAY THE
RESTITUTION. THE ATTORNEY WAS A PUBLIC DEFENDER AND WAS WORTHLESS AS T*TS ON A
BOAR.
I HAVE APPEALED THIS TO THE GOVERNOR OF COLORADO BUT
REALLY DON'T HOLD OUT ANY HOPE OF GETTING THIS OVERTURNED. THESE PEOPLE ARE
DANGEROUS, THEY WILL SCREW YOU OVER AND CAUSE YOU TO POSSIBLY GET IN TROUBLE
SUCH AS I DID.
BE CAREFUL! IF YOU RECEIVE EMAILS LIKE THIS IN THE
FUTURE THE BEST THING TO DO IS DELETE THEM OR DO LIKE ME AND SEND THEM BACK AND
CALL THE PERSON SENDING YOU THE EMAIL EVERY NAME IN THE BOOK AND QUESTION THEIR
SEXUAL ORIENTATION.....
Click here for steps to
take to protect yourself if you have replied to a scammer.
Examples of scam emails
Would you like to see actual examples of scam emails?
And to see some of the names they use or confirm that one you received is a
fake, check these pages:
Besides email, how to the scammers contact their victims?
We're discussing AFF scam emails, but the scammers will use any method to
reach their victims, including:
- Mail / Post
- Fax
- Phone
- Chat rooms
- Dating web sites
- Matchmaking web sites
- Mobile phone SMS (new)
- Internet phone - VOIP (new)
- Internet gaming (new)
- Personal introduction
- Web sites publishing general business contacts or for specific
industries
- Call centre / boiler-room
- Door-to-door - in countries were an internet connection or sometimes
phone or fax connections are not yet common circumstances.
If you would like a (more) detailed explanation of how the scammers in Nigeria
operate, see this page.
More information:
Explains how the scam works — Supposed Nigerians politely promise big
profits in exchange for help moving large sums of money out of their country —
and what to do if you get an offer.
And if you'd like a good laugh at how some scambaiters
like to turn the tables on the scammers,
read this article from the BBC.
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