Cashier Check and Other Scams

**coastal** · 07-23-2004, 11:44 AM

Seems as though there are a number of cashier check scams going around these days so just wanted to give a heads up to those who post items/vehicles for sale here, or anywhere for that matter.

I haven't heard of any problems experienced through this site yet but looks like the scammers widening their targets and preying on people with almost anything for sale, regardless of price.

The scams are extremely varied and I haven't the time to detail everything to watch out for, all I can say is be very careful when making arrangements for sending goods and receiving payments.

Just a heads up

**barrysharp** · 07-26-2004, 08:03 AM

My son is selling his Peugeot 405 Mi16 and has had an inquiry from a New Zealand person saying they will pay by Cashier's check and will arrange to have the car shipped. The person want my son to indicate the car is SOLD on this basis.

My advice to my son at this time is to say to NZ person - "Fine. As soon as the cashier's check clears and money in the bank then the car is SOLD."

Is this advice sound ?

**barrysharp** · 07-27-2004, 12:39 PM

Well, as it turns out it seems this NZ person was acting very strange. It turns out that this NZ person (his whereabout is questionable IMO) wanted to send my son a cashiers check for $5500 and he was to cash it and keep $1500 for his Peugeot and give $4000 to some agent who would be present to handle shipment of car to NZ.

My son has terminated the negotiations and stopped any further Email with this NZ person.

Question: How long does it take for a bank to certify a bone fide cashiers check ?

**coastal** · 07-27-2004, 01:01 PM

Yep, this was almost certainly a scam... wanting to send more than the agreed selling price with a request to return the balance. Not too sure why they do this but many of them seem to want to send extra cash, perhaps just try to further entice the buyer.

Not too sure how long it takes to authenticate a cashier's cheque (they're almost always counterfeit or forged) but you can be sure that the buyer would want to have the vehicle before the authentication takes place.

Glad to hear he's stepped away

**AWD*V70XC** · 08-23-2004, 04:04 PM

An international cheque from anywhere can take as much as 14 days to clear but normally about 10 days is the norm. Even if the money is in your account you should wait a further five days to allow the cheque to cool down as the bank have been known to withdraw the money when it is known as dud. and you will have lost both.

One scam in Ireland is to get a draft for €20 and make it €20000 on the same cheque or else they carefully remove the seal and 'glue' it onto their own copy and pass it off that way, even some banks have been fooled by this and later have withdrawn the money from the account.

The best way is to get them to wire it to your iban account details, advise your bank that you are expecting this to arrive and to keep an eye thet money is not reversed.

I was going to say cash is best but then you could get dud ones as well.

**macbeemer** · 10-31-2004, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by coastal

Yep, this was almost certainly a scam... wanting to send more than the agreed selling price with a request to return the balance. Not too sure why they do this but many of them seem to want to send extra cash,

Your local bank will ok the check before they find out the NZ bank has received a report from the scammer that the check was lost or stolen. The mark has in the meantime lost his title as well as the extra cash, to the bad guys. He will then be called on by his bank to make good on the full amout of the stopped cashier's check or money order. The bank will remove the deposited amount from his account and demand any unmet amount payable. Additionally, the mark gets to spend time at his local, friendly DMV fixing title to the car.

Think: why would a guy from NZ involve himself with shipping charges on a $1,500 car?

**Jorge-789995** · 11-19-2004, 07:02 PM

Pretty lame effort at a scam too.

From "terry scott" <[email protected]

good day,
i want to buy your (Steel Cargo Barriers) pls i will like to know the full
price it and i want you to give me the pics one moreting the payment will be by
cashier check,i have a client ,so he is the one who will send the check to you
--
_______________________________________________
Get your free email from http://www.melodymail.com

Powered by Outblaze

**Jorge-789995** · 11-19-2004, 07:04 PM

Emailed minutes later....

From "donkof donkof" <[email protected]

good day,
i want to buy your (4 Pirelli Scorpian ST's) pls i will like to know the
full price it and i want you to give me the pics one moreting the payment will
be by cashier check,i have a client ,so he is the one who will send the check
to you
--
_______________________________________________
Get your free email from http://mymail.keromail.com

Powered by Outblaze

**barrysharp** · 04-04-2005, 07:13 PM

My daughter got a telephone call the other day from a nice sounding lady who said she was wanting her to pay for a parking ticket that was outstanding from 2000. The lady told my daughter she could pay over the phone and could she give her the CC number for payment. My daughter was about to comply when her senses suddenly arrived and she then abruptly hung up. The lady never rang back.

**mrvolvo05** · 02-24-2006, 05:53 PM

Barrysharp,
This one a tricky one. Because, even after you had cashed the cashier check, you may get a call from your bank saying, "We have received a call that the money was stolen, and we have to retrun it to law enforcement".

I usually tell the other side, why don't you wire it to my bank account, I will pay the xfer cost. (Create seperate bank account just for this transaction, then close it, after the money had cleared. That way there is a paper trail between two legitimate banks.

I might add another glaring attemped farud. This time on craiglist (http://www.craigslist.org/). The guy tried to sell a $40K XC90 for $8,300. He claimed the car is located in Athens, Creece. You wire him 1/2 of the money. He will have the car "air mailed" and parking on ydriveway in................4 days. Gurranteed.

(He stopped his post after I asked him, if he would mind to have the car for a test drive by my creek buddy "demtiri", whom is an attorney in Athen's District attorney, specialising in consumer fraud. (lol)