Wow The Internet Is Getting Scary!
By kbourgerie
@kbourgerie (8780)
United States
March 5, 2009 2:29am CST
I don't know why I have suddenly become the target for internet fraud, but when it rains it pours. Like most of us, I watch my accounts pretty closely . It used to be my mailbox. Always hoping for that unexpected check. Now I look to see if some anonymous donor picked my name out of a hat and deposited a cool million. Hasn't happened yet, but an anonymous less than charitable person did decide to lighten my load for me. I checked my account one morning to find my account was much less than what it was supposed to be. After careful consideration they had decided I was the nominee for target of the month. But did it stop there? NO! Following that I received a reply to a pair of boots that I was selling on Craigslist. Yes, they were very interested in the boots and where could they send the check? As promised the check arrived yesterday, but to my surprise the check was for $2100.00. My asking price was only $500. Along with the check was instructions instructing me to take out the amount that was due me and whatever expenses I might incur when I transferred the remainder of the money via Western Union to someone who lives not even 5 miles from me. Obviously someone had tried to involve me in some fraudulent activity, but I AM NOT STUPID! Needless to say, I didn't cash the check and am handing the entire thing over to my bank. I just can't believe how the internet which I once celebrated has become a fraud free for all. It makes me wonder how many people inadvertantly become involved in dealings they are unaware of. Have you been a victim of internet fraud?
3 people like this
16 responses
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
5 Mar 09
Well, there is no single body that is like governing the internet... so anyone can do just about anything... i guess you were singled out by these frauds... thinking that you will fall to the trap they made... good thing you were smart enough not too...
We all need to be careful when it comes to the internet... i myself was once a victim... and i never want that to ever happen again...
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
5 Mar 09
I don't know why, but it seems like I've been hit too often in a short length of time. Thank goodness I was able to avoid making a big mistake.
@zweeb82 (5653)
• Malaysia
8 Mar 09
All these scammers are looking for is the "greed" button. Once you fall for it, that's it!~ Glad you made a wise move by handing it to your bank to handle the case!~ I remembered when I 1st started to sell on eBay a cell phone, someone wanted to pay me almost triple the price & wanted me to ship out the item a.s.a.p. I was a new seller then but thank God I'm the type that always make a habit to read through the instructions & fine prints. Without receiving payment or clearance, as an eBay seller, I was not to send anything out. True enough, I received another mail later with the exact words but it was from a different person. I reported it to eBay & they terminated those accounts. I later read in the forum that many have been conned from such similar letters. Even up till now, I receive countless emails everyday stating that I've won EURO, USD, GBP in millions. If that was true, I'd a a gazzillionaire now? haahah
1 person likes this
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
10 Mar 09
Its not so much Ebay that I have the problems with, its Craigslist. Whenever I put something on there of any value thats when I start getting the fraudulent offers. As for other letters, I too, get them daily in my email. I just delete them as fast as they come in.
1 person likes this
@mummymo (23706)
•
5 Mar 09
Oh my honey you have had an unfortunate time of it honey, you did the right thing about the cheque, definitely. I know that there are many dangers of fraud etc on the internet but there are in every day life too and while it is sad that we cannot just trust what people say , we have to protet ourselves and look out for the fraudsters and scammers everywhere we go because they are around every corner, not just the internet!
I do hope that your luck changes sweety! Hugs xxx
1 person likes this
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
6 Mar 09
Actually when you think about it, my luck changed when I was smart enough NOT to cash that check. Had I just been greedy and run to the bank then I would have really been crying the blues.
@sminut13 (1783)
• Singapore
6 Mar 09
oh my god, fortunately you're really alert. this is the first i've heard of a case like that. i too never watch my accounts closely. i so computer illiterate that if my accounts were to be hacked into, i wouldn't even know it. until maybe they send a warning or i couldn't log into my accounts. i hope this has stopped for you now though we can never be sure. they might strike anytime again.
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
6 Mar 09
I hope this is the last of it too. I can't believe it happened once, but twice?
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
6 Mar 09
Three times? OMG, now thats awful. Having to go through all that hassle must just have sucked. Once was bad enough.
@kissieme (777)
• Philippines
6 Mar 09
hi, kbourgerie...
a lot of frauds are dealing through internet nowadays, they've gone techie lol
I had received so many mails like that from England, US, HongKong, Singapore and Africa saying I have to pick up a package from Fedex or from the bank with a certain amount of money or a check. or that I've won something through the electronic draws etc. They are asking for money to send to fedex to be able to claim the package mentioned.. I usually delete those or report those emails...
I'm glad you were able to recognize a fraud and act on it... hugs... ^_^
1 person likes this
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
6 Mar 09
I've received a lot of emails like that too, but I usually just delete them also. This was different though, since I was actually selling a product.
@kissieme (777)
• Philippines
6 Mar 09
yeah, am sorry about that... It's a close call for you but you got your gears working to recognize it as a scam... good for you... ^_^
go girl! I hope those scammers get caught to save more people from being victimized by these unscrupulous peeps... ^_^
@icyorchid (2564)
• United States
5 Mar 09
Hi,
I have never been the victim of internet fraud, but I have received a check like that. I called the bank it was from and the woman told me it was a fake check to call the police. I called the police and they told me there was nothing they could do about it because I had not done what they said to do so my funds were not taken. LOL
A week later an elderly woman did this and it was all over the news and in the paper. Now wouldn't it have been better if the police would have came to me, took the check, called the news and told them this was going on? Perhaps that woman wouldn't have been robbed!
I'm glad you were smart enough not to do this. There are plenty of people especially right now the way the economy is waiting for miracle money and unfortunately when they get it, it's always more trouble then it's worth!
1 person likes this
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
6 Mar 09
I called my bank and they said I could bring it in and they would take care of it. I'm sorry that happened to that lady. Its so sad that they find people like that to prey on.
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
5 Mar 09
I once received an email from a friend saying they were travelling and had had a car accident. They desperately needed $200 for car repairs and maybe $100 for accomodation while the car was fixed. She had just loaned her last $500 to her daughter. Could I wire the money to......blah, blah blah.
I also received an email from the "same person", saying someone had stolen her yahoo account and was asking everyone on her email list for money and not to send any money, anywhere.
I already figured it was a fake because Sue would never have sent an email to an Aussie friend asking me to wire money. We don't have that facility.
@moondancer (7433)
• United States
5 Mar 09
Wow a cool but not clean jump of $600. That you would certainly lose not counting having your checking account information to do further damage...how nice of them to send you extra money....NOT! They are getting much bolder aren't they?
If they pull that on someone that doesn't know btter then they are getting a lot of money...and you know they are. I hope with you turning it allover to your bank to handle that they will shut these people down.
1 person likes this
@jpso138 (7851)
• Philippines
5 Mar 09
Well you certainly did the right thing. It is good to be careful this days considering that the scams and spams are getting bolder. I have received a lot of emails from winning a lottery, to donations, asking for accounts so my account could be deposited... etc. You name it all. But point is, common sense will tell us that this are all fake. The internet brings us lots of advantages but it can also bring us to downfall. The important thing is we should always be careful.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
5 Mar 09
That's quite a well known scam Kat. You pay in the check, send on the money. They stop the first check and you end up being out of pocket. That was a very wise thing you did handing it over to the bank who will no doubt do what they can to catch these people. I receive spam daily that purports to make me rich by paying Nigerian and increasingly Russian funds into my bank. I just had one from someone representing a car dealership. The customer buys the car, gives me the check form which I deduct my commission and pass the rest on to the dealers. Same scam as you got in fact. I have sent the details to the car dealership, which is entirely legitimate and let them know that their name is being used in scamming people. People will always think up ways to defraud others. That they do it on the internet doesn't really surprise me.
1 person likes this
@leenie50 (3992)
• United States
5 Mar 09
Hi KB,
I received a large check asking me to do the Western Union thing. the next day My hubby received one too. It's the latest scam so far. When it comes to money, if I don't know where it comes from I just delete it. I did look up this scam with the little info I had and it came back as a scam. I think there are a lot of people falling for this crap. The News stations need to investigate and report on each of the scams in order for the elderly to be informed. It's really sad. Hugsssss
leenie
1 person likes this
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
5 Mar 09
I've heard that a lot of people have been hit by this particular scam. The checks get cashed, but then when it actually clears the person who cashed the check has to pay it all back and usually doesn't have it.
@reckon21 (3479)
• Philippines
6 Mar 09
I had receive few in my inbox. Stranger offering
to send me big bucks and do the things they instructed
me to do. No matter how tempting or how big the amounts
involved. I don't give in. Somehow i know it will only
make me a bad guy in the end.
1 person likes this
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
6 Mar 09
I really didn't think he would send the check. I was really surprised when it came in the mail. Even more surprised when I saw how much it was for.
@riches2794 (1)
• United States
6 Mar 09
Then it is a good thing you are watching your account carefully... thank goodness you didn't cash the check in :)
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
6 Mar 09
I knew that something was wrong as soon as I saw the amount of the check. No one would send an additional $1600 for a product that they have never even seen.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
11 Mar 09
ya, lately I've been encountering a lot more of this sort of stuff too. Being a natural born sucker and often subject to scams, I've become over time a bit more skeptic....even still & deep down knowing it has to be a scam...I hop on here for confirmation because i just cant believe the lengths people go to in order to get a few bucks out of someone. Something like that is an obvious scam but truthfully a few years ago...i'd have questioned it. Now some sound so authentic...i really just have gotten to a point where i just don't trust anything & I question everything.
