I cant believe I fell for it
By hoghoney
@hoghoney (3747)
United States
February 27, 2007 7:54pm CST
My friends let me tell you how dang dumb I have been. Well it started about a month ago with this company that wanted me to work for the here as a Representative/Payment Officer so I checked into it and I kept finding things that said the company was good and then I checked a bit more. So I told them that I would work for them because they didnt ask me for any money and I didnt cost me anything and I got it through Job Search. They said that my duties were to collect payments from there customers and then get the payments to them, ok I can do that. So as time went on and I got the first payment from the first customer and when I opened it up OMG the check was for $79,524.72 yes thats what I thought! and the company said that I will make 10% of the payment well didnt know what kind of money they were talking about. but goes to says that I went to my bank had them check this out and lord and behold they said that I was being SCAMMED big time. so now as of today I have 3 checks that total $198,749.72 and now the Police Dept where I live has the checks. I just want to share this with everyone and Please be careful even with job searches online. Thank God that It didnt cost me any money. I keep kicking my own butt thinking how did I fall for this.And what if my bank would of cashed them for me my god I would be in jail right now.
10 people like this
20 responses
@mari61960 (4893)
• United States
28 Feb 07
You have to be really careful these days. There are so many scams out there it's getting really difficult to spot some of them. I think the check cashing scam you got caught up in is a really big one that the fbi is trying to tackle. My best friends sister was also caught up in this type of scam. Different circumstances, but checks she was supposed to cash and keep 10 % of. She too turned them over to her local police as directid by the fbi. I hope they get a handle on it soon.
4 people like this
@hoghoney (3747)
• United States
28 Feb 07
I hope it didnt get any money from her. I jsut cant believe that some people can do that stuff to others. But the police said that I did good because I saved every email that I got from these people. So I hope that they can do something about it. I might make a website just for tips of how not to get scammed. I got took a few years back for $150.00 you think that I would of learned something. Thanks for the reply.
3 people like this
@hoghoney (3747)
• United States
9 Mar 07
oh yes my friend iit is a scam. I just got word today from a company that one of the checks is from and they done said that it is not there check and that the person that sent it to me they dont even know who he is and that he dont work for them. so please be very careful if it ever come to you country. It really sounded good. but it is a scam.
1 person likes this
@onlinbiz8 (78)
• Panama
28 Feb 07
This is purely money laundering and they use you and your bank account to cash cheques and if the cheques are bad then you are in problem. I get this type of offers everyday in the mail. Most of them are Chinese stating that they need a collection agent to collet and send them money. Be very careful and hope evryone that reads this takes note so they do not fall into this trap. It can be very problamatic if you do.
Good thing you did to go to the Police. You kept your hands clean!
@hoghoney (3747)
• United States
1 Mar 07
and that I dont understand and why you ask because if they send me a check to cash and then it comes back bad then how do they get their money? adnd would you believe that I got 2 more in the mail today they just keep coming. and I have told them that I was on to them.
1 person likes this
@rosaflorence (1924)
• United States
28 Feb 07
I was sent an email a while back that said that they wanted to pay me to open up an account for them so that they could transfer money into it due to their account being froze in their country and them not being able to make it over here. I was too transfer the money back into another account for them. I thought it sounded suspicious so I asked around and a lot of people where receiving this same email and later I found out that this was a scam also. You have to be real careful out there.
3 people like this
@hoghoney (3747)
• United States
28 Feb 07
it is called the school of hard knocks. My bank told me today about a guy that worked at the postal service that got stuck in a scam and now he owes his bank $13,000+ that he has to pay back for a boggis check I feel real bad for him because he was doing this because he had a child that was very sick and it was going to pay his Medical bills for his son.
2 people like this
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
28 Feb 07
That's a new one I haven't heard about. I think it has gotten to the point that 9 out of 10 money making ideas on the Internet are scams. I almost fell for one about a year and a half ago that could heve landed me in jail. It was being run by the Russian mafia. Those rotten bozos are getting trickier all the time.
3 people like this
@jillmalitz (5131)
• United States
28 Feb 07
Wow! The consumer reporters on the local tv stations are always having stories like yours. Did you check with the BBB or the state attorney general? I have seen a lot of reports about things like this. What bothers me the most is how many elderly and fixed income people get stung. Be careful out there.
3 people like this
@mnflower (1299)
• United States
28 Feb 07
I have gotten emails inviting me to alot of these types and I actually got a check and I called the bank that the check was made from and there was no such bank so I replied to this persons email and told them this was a scam and that I was reporting them..Oh my did I get a nasty email back telling me I was the one scamming them they even sent the check federal express with a totally different mailing address etc..I had to sit back and laugh I got like 3 emails from this guy just screaming at me for saying I was going to turn him in..Thanks for this discussion it just reopens my eyes to be super careful out here in internet world and the job market.
@mipen2006 (5528)
• Australia
28 Feb 07
I can't work out how the scam worked if no money was taken from your acount. However it shows how easy it is to get caught up in these scams.
3 people like this
@hoghoney (3747)
• United States
28 Feb 07
the police said that if the banks cash the checks and then you take the money and send it to the other person that you are now launderying money. It is like what happened in the movie Leathel Weapon 2. I still cant believe that I was dumb enough to fall for this. Thanks for the reply
2 people like this
@mehale (2200)
• United States
28 Feb 07
WOW!! Thanks for the warning. I wonder WHERE they were getting checks THAT big from, and WHAT FOR?? You just can't be too careful when looking for online work opportunities now days. Hope you don't have anymore bad luck like that.
@gramskaren (661)
• United States
18 Mar 07
Yes it is a tough world out there and lots of people want to scam everyone. I got a letter in the mail saying I won the lottery and a check for a little over $2000. I called the number in the letter and they told me to cash check and then call them back. I was really suspicious when they said that so took check to bank to see if it was any good and of course it was not and a few days later heard that there was a lot of them out there doing this to people wanting to cash check and send them money and you would be stuck with owing the bank that money. Have to really watch what you do and that is a shame.
1 person likes this
@retardedrugrat (4791)
• Canada
28 Feb 07
You cannot be too careful these days. The internet makes it so easy to scam people because a lot of times there's no way to check whether something is legitimate or not.
I wouldn't do a job search online ever, I just don't trust things like that. If I need to find a job, I'd go to use the computers at the ei offices, check the newspaper job offers and cruise the streets with my resume.
It's the only way to ensure that you're at least meeting legitimate potential employers.
1 person likes this
@paidreader (5143)
• United States
11 Mar 07
It's a shame that there are people that pull this type of scam, but I have seen many people give in to the temptation of seemingly free money. That's what keeps them going. Be VERY grateful that the banks didn't run them thru their system. I don't know if you're aware of this but when a check or money order is processed, your account number is printed on the back so the federal reserve can route the money properly. These people probably request that their cancelled (cashed/processed) checks be returned to them with their statement each month and now have your bank account number.
I would advise anyone to stay away from this type of scam! People just don't realise there are ever so many safer ways to make some money, even if it is slower. :)
@lovesfreedom (1245)
• United States
28 Feb 07
I have had many offers from these same companies. I immediately sent them on to the FBI internet department. Lucky for me that I had already read a newspaper article about a woman now sitting in jail on charges due to her need for a job and accepting employment from these comapanies. It is so hard to swim through the legitimate and scams.
3 people like this
@hoghoney (3747)
• United States
28 Feb 07
hey love, I know my bank said that I could pay 20.00 and they would see if they would clear but they said that if I did that and they were bad then they would have to call the cops on me. I said hell no, jsut give them to the police. thanks for the reply.
1 person likes this
@wmg2006 (5381)
• United States
7 Mar 07
WOW! That is horrible. I have had this sent to my email a few times and like you I checked it all out and it looked very legit. I did not act on it because I just did not have time. I am doing many things online right now that are legit and do make money, so I never found time for that one. I did however put it in my pending file, which after reading this is now deleted. Thanks for the information. Sorry you were almost scammed. I found long time ago anything happeing from canada is a rip off. If you want to make real honest money on the internet, only join free things and chek it out throughly with hopefully some people you know in real life. I have several things on my blog that do pay and have been paying for years. I don't waiver from them because I went through so many scams I keep the good ones. Good luck in the future.
1 person likes this
@ScrappinHappyMom (914)
• United States
28 Feb 07
Thank goodness you are a smart cookie! I would have panicked if I received a check that large in the mail.
Thanks for sending up the alert for others, I feel so bad when people get scammed like this.
1 person likes this
@mywords18 (645)
• United States
28 Feb 07
hey this is silly but iam not responding to you discussion,,,just want to convey that i like ur icon dacing piggy very much its is very cute, thanks for giving me a smile.
@melindagr9 (143)
• United States
28 Feb 07
wow, thats crazy! You were really lucky that your bank realized the scam. People are willing to take advantage of anyone they can. There are TONS of scams on the internet.
1 person likes this
