Seller Beware: Counterfeit Check &
Overseas Wire Transfer Scams

Example #1: Counterfeit Check Scam

Hello, Since it is still available  , The reason I am sending you this email is to make final reconfirmation of the item and also to let you know that payment will be by Money order or Check . In view of this I need you to email me any information that may be required to send the payment.

Regarding the shipping, I have a company that takes care of the pick up of my consignments for me and ship to my destination anywhere in the U.S.A, you do not worry about shipping, the company will send down a representative to arrange the Sales documentation and the pick up from your end for onward transfer to my destination. I also want to alert you on the fact that you will be recieving an overdraft  payment , which will cover the money for the pickup (pickup and shipping to the final destination) as well as the money to be paid to the company that will take care of the pickup and the documentation with you.  So please, as soon as you receive the payment , go and cash them immediately, deduct the money that accrues to you cost of the item , take a compesantion of $100 for stress making you go thru, and you wil send the rest balance to the Head Office of the company that handles the shipment via the nearest Western Union agent in your area.  Deduct the Western Union charges from the balance and send the remaining immediately . I will give you the details of the company that you will send the balance of the money to once I get a reply and agreement that y ou will send the money via Western Union money transfer immediately you cash the payment. Once the money is received by the agent, the shipping agent will contact you immediately to arrange the documentation as well as the pick up immediately. So in view of the above,  here are some of the details I will need  for final assurance of the payment to you.

(1)  Full Name
(2)  Mailing address
(3)  acceptance of my offer Once you get back to me with! all the above, the payment  will be issued out  immediately and it will be  sent to you .

Hope to hear from you immediately.  
Thanks   Gale

Example #2: Counterfeit Check Scam

Dear   David,

Thanks for your quick response to my email and i am so pleased reading back from you. The reason why you want to sell the Honda 1973 Honda z50 is clear and understood by me.

Regarding the payment term,this will be made via a certified cashier's check and it will be issued by a client that is oweing me some fund($5,500),i will instruct him to have the check issued in  your name for the amount he is oweing me and as soon as you acknowlegde the receipt of the payment you will have it deposited at  your bank,which will take 2-3 days for the fund to be available in your account,after which you will have the remaining fund (after deducting the cost of the item($1200.00) and any bank charges incurred during the check deposite) sent to my shipping agent so that he can proceed with the shipping of the Honda 1973 Honda z50  from your location. If this is okay with you,i will  need these following details so that the payment can be issued out soonest.

*Name to write on the Check
*Physical Address - to post the check to
*Contact phone number(preferably your mobile number) As soon as i receive these details the payment will be made out.Hope to read from you today.

Thanks and best regards,
L. Petersen

Example #3: Renter Scam

thank you very much for the prompt response.
i plan comming in the nearest few weeks from now, and also, I have a lot of laugages that will be that will be sent over before my arrival (official documents and equipments) . I presume that you will secure it while it arrives at your destination before my departure.
I have instructed my boss about payment. All necesary expenses and down payment for the the first 3 months has been concluded.

All you need do is deduct your fees and have the rest difference sent to the freighting agency that will handle the freighting of my luggages to your destination from here in the united kingdom( they will be incharge of clearing my luggages in to the united states.).
Instructions on how to contact the freight forwarder will be sent to you as soon as you might have gotten payment cleared.

I will be going on another official duty to France which will not take lesser than a fews days for me to get back to you. update me with every required details.
Have a nice day.
Robertson

Example #4: Credit Card Scam

How are you? I have spoken with my funding company, for a quick and perfect payment arrangement for the bike before anyother person show interest. They therefore requested to load the payment on your credit card. All you need to do is to provide your credit card information and your card will be loaded immediately.

Please to avoid any reason for doubts and suspicion due to the fraud, you are advised that you empty your card to make sure that there is no funds left inside. I want to receive the bike before Christmas. If you want check, send the name that will be on the it and your postal address.

Have a nice day. Evans.

Example #5: Advanced-Fee Fraud (419 Letter)

Dear Sir, I have a desperate need for assistance due to recent developments here that I will later explain to you. I will also disclose/proof my identity to you as soon as I am sure that you will not use it against me, but I am presently serving in Iraq. I have to urgently evacuate money, totaling US$28,800,000 (twenty eight million, eight hundred thousand US dollars) clean legal notes, and all in US$100 bills out of here to a safe country having found a secure way to do so. SOURCE OF MONEY: Some money in various currencies were discovered concealed in barrels with piles of weapons and ammunitions at a location near one of Saddam,s old palaces  during a rescue operation several months ago, and it was agreed by the few of us present that the money be shared amongst us, this was an illegal thing to do though, but I tell you what? no compensation can make up for the risks we are taking with our lives in this hell hole. The above figure was given to me as my share, and for several reasons, concealing this volume of cash here has been a big problem/source of distraction to me, I however found a temporary solution with the help of a female UN contact working here , whose office enjoys some immunity, and was able to get the packages(3 in No) to a safe location entirely out of trouble spot, where they have been for the past 8 months. She does not know the real contents of the package , and must not know, but believes that they belong to an Asian American who died in an air raid, and before giving up, trusted me to hand them over to his business associate in Europe. I have now found a secure way of getting the packages out to a safer country for you to pick up, as soon as we reach an agreement. I will discuss this with you if I am sure that you are sincerely willing to assist me, and will honour my terms, mostly as regards taking care of my interest, I am offering you 3 million US dollars (US$ 3,000,000) as your share for rendering this assistance. One request I will make to you is that you try to keep this information to yourself, should you have reasons to reject this offer, please destroy this mail as any leakage will be too bad for us. I want to have a very peacefull retirement life after my service here, and I rely so much on this fortune to provide that for me. I am ready to discuss the details and as soon as we agree proof my identity to you. Please respond asap through my email. Respectfully, Fred Grodanov,

Example #6: Counterfeit Check Scam

Dear seller, I'm interested in purchases your advertised KING SIZE MATCHING BEDROOM SET the prices $450 is okay by me. I'm shipping it down to Bournemouth, Dorset in England and if i can pay with a check drawn in an American Bank. If this is okay with you do get back to me immediately for me to arrange the payment. Concerning the shipment, Because my shipper will need to come and pick it up from you as will seal this transaction and before my shipper can come to your location, i will need to pay my shipper first. So I want you to help me because i will prepare you the cashier check of $3000 and you will deduct the cost of your KING SIZE MATCHING BEDROOM SET, plus the tax,because i want you to help me by sending the remaining balance to my shipper through any Via Money Gramme Transfer around you for fast shipping arrangement, so that my shipper can travel down to your location. Well i am a born again christain and i will like to do business with a God fearing person, and i will like to know if you are a born again christain, cos i will like to trust you and i will also like to do more business with you. So if you are okay with my suggestion do get back to me immediately with your Full name, Contact address and Phone number for me to issue the check with your name. Thanks for your understanding in anticipation. Best Regard. Mrs Kelly rogers. Nice meeting you.

Example #7: Counterfeit Check Scam

Hello, I am an American based in West Africa,I saw your ad and I would like to purchase your( 87 Kawasaki Elimanator). The price you advertised is fair enough and I would take it,but I would need a little info on the history of the bike if any major work has been done it and any addons have been put on to the bike. I would also need your full name and address inclusive of your phone number so that I can instruct a client of mine who resides in the states and owes me some money to issue a cashiers check for the total amount due. The check would be for $10,000 after you must have recived and cashed the check and sutracted the money for the bike I would need you to wire the remaining balance via western union money transfer to my shipping agent in Africa who would come over to your location to pick up the bike as soon as he recives payment for the shipping but if you do not like strangers coming to you place you could arrange for a public venue where the bike can be picked up.Please mail me back if you are comfortable with this arrangement.
I would look foward to hearing form you soon. Best regards FISHER

Example #8: Counterfeit Seller Email

I'm the first owner of this bike, I have only used it sometimes on weekends. I took a very good care of it, dealer was doing regular checkups and oil/filter change on it. It was never on any accidents. The bike runs great, has never been laid down. Included in the sale are two helmets and a jacket. This bike has many, many years left on it.The tires have over 3/4 of their tread life remaining. It's gorgeous and ready to ride! In fact, the only reason that I am selling it is beacause I just buyed a BMW and i need to make some space in my garage. I sell my bike for 3600US$. I'm from Zaragoza, Spain and if you want to buy the bike, I'll shipp it to you in 5-7 days via FedEx or DHL services, and you can make the payment via bank transfer. Shipping to you is around 800 US$ and if we have a deal we will split this cost so the total price, including delivery to your door, is 4000US$. Please let me know if you would like to buy my bike so we can proceed to the next step. Thanks!