My Attempt at a Public Service Announcement

I don't know how many people read this blog, but hopefully some of you do and will see this and possbily be helped by it in the future. (I debated a mass email but thought this would be easier.)

We've been trying to sell the Prelude and have been communicating with a gentleman via email for about 2 weeks now. He said he'd put a check in the mail for full purchase price if we held the car for him while he went on a month long business trip to London. OK, so off the bat, this doesn't smell right. Full purchase price...sight unseen. Huh?

Anyway, we proceeded to chat with this guy in case it worked out. No harm done. After all, we weren't going to quit marketing the car like he asked us too. He had no deposit, no contract, no nothing. So, we're not out anything, and if this guy actually is for real and sends us a check and it clears the bank, well, then great.

Time had gone by with no communication and then finally this weekend he tells me that the check had already been sent and I should expect it no later than today. Sure enough, a check arrived today (I gave him my work address from the start too because I thought this might be sketchy...didn't want him having too much of my personal info) appearing as if it came from London, and it actually might have. The markings on the envelope look real and the stamp was a Queen of England stamp.

Anyway, I open the envelope and there's a cashiers check inside for double the amount of the car. Bells, whistles, sirens, load crashing noises...you name it...it went off in my head!!! I had a co-worker who used to work at a bank (I know I did too but I wasn't around money) look at it. She thinks it is a forgery, as do I. You can't see a water mark, and she pointed out that some of the imprinted writing isn't 100% level. It grades slightly up hill and she said a real cashiers check would be perfect.

So, the scam...when I tell him that I got the check and that it was overissued, he's going to ask me to wire him the difference or write him a check. He mentioned in his email (and I didn't read that part at first) that it was overissued and the extra amounts were for cargo and transportation fees, as the car was to be shipped to him. Then, when my good funds clear, the banks will finally figure out in another week or two from the issuing bank that the original cashiers check was a fraud.

Anyway, I'm probably going to take the check to a SunTrust branch and have them verify that it's a forgery. Then, I'm going to take it to the police station. I'd love to see if they can lift any finger prints or anything that will help them catch this guy.

Bottom line, a co-worker showed me an extremely similar scam on snopes.com. Basically, they warn you when dealing with buying/selling goods, NEVER accept sums of money for more than the amount you're asking with an expectation to refund the difference. And they also warn that people who aren't willing to deal with you in person may not be 100% truthful either.

Hope this helps someone else in the future. I wasn't born yesterday...too bad for this guy, huh? Cause I'm going to sick the po po on his ass!