419 scammer scamming

[DrPizza]

Started this in a Magnus the Brewer thread - stringing along several scammers.

Question first: scammers can't use stolen credit cards to purchase postage, can they? I thought postage was cash or debit card only. They sent it via Express Mail Flat Rate Mailing Envelope, using Click-N-Ship. Using a stolen debit card for that? Should I contact the person on the mailing label (since I'd guess the name on the debit card, if that's the case, would be the return address?)

Second: Ramone (my Llama) received a check for $910 today. Ooops! The assistant made it out for too much; it was supposed to be for $150. That's okay, I'm surrrre I'll send the balance via Western Union "after the check clears in 1 to 2 days."

Time to get creative. What's Ramone up to this evening that he can't make it to the bank? "Called away to London on an urgent business matter" sounds wayyyy too scamish. Then again, the scammers apparently don't realize how obvious they are sometimes.

Any creative ideas?

 

[BoomerD]

Make Ramone give you a percentage...

 

[Ns1]

"Question first: scammers can't use stolen credit cards to purchase postage, can they? I thought postage was cash or debit card only. They sent it via Express Mail Flat Rate Mailing Envelope, using Click-N-Ship. Using a stolen debit card for that? "

I use my CC for ClickNShip all the time.

 

[DrPizza]

Thanks, Ns1. I didn't know that. At the (local) post office, it's cash or debit card only.

Does the return label automatically bear your name when you use Click and Ship? i.e. does the name on the card have to match the name on the label? I searched for the person on the label - only one such person in the US. Sounded really nice on the answering machine, so I really doubt they're the scammer. In the case that the scammer is using their stolen card, it might even help them to put a stop to it before a scammer continues using the card between now & their next billing statement.

 

[keird]

What if the llama had a lein placed against it? "Sorry, I'm getting fleeced by the local government right now. I can't refund your money until next week. "

 

[BurnItDwn]

Ramone had a lot of work to chew through today, and didn't pay any attention to the time? Bank was closed by the time he was ready to hoof it there...

 

[Ns1]

Thanks, Ns1. I didn't know that. At the (local) post office, it's cash or debit card only.

Doubt it, my CC is under my business and I always ship using my personal name.

it DOES check the CCV code in the back though, which has to be manually entered.

 

[Kreon]

Ramone's mother got hit by a car, so the money had to be used to pay for her ER visit. Ramone is very, very sorry. He will refund the money as soon as his next paycheck comes in, with interest in the amount of 82 UNITED STATES DOLLARS.

Don't know if that's going to far though?

 

[OCGuy]

Western Union him $5. Tell him that you can't work with someone who hires dumb assistants, and that you are keeping the extra to teach him a lesson.

He will be so happy on the way to the western union place.....only to be crushed. Or give fake confirmation codes.

^ Or what Kreon is saying. Say you had to spend the money and ask for more funds

 

[BoomerD]

Contact him. Tell him your bank has refused the check. Tell him it has to be a US Postal Money Order for them to accept it.

(that opens the door for more Federal charges...as if mail fraud isn't already enough)

 

[dud]

OP,

Suggest you join the largest scambaiting community on the planet ... and share:


http://www.419eater.com/index.php

 

[Kreon]

Contact him. Tell him your bank has refused the check. Tell him it has to be a US Postal Money Order for them to accept it.

(that opens the door for more Federal charges...as if mail fraud isn't already enough)

mmmm
Federal Charges.

DrPizza, will you be able to get enough information about the scammer to pass to the government to get them arrested (assuming they're in the US that is).

EDIT: Also, link to original thread?

 

[DrPizza]

Not sure, Kreon. When I saw the big envelope in the mailbox today, I was kind of shocked that it arrived so quickly. I walked down to the post office at the end of the street & chatted with the postmaster for a little while (everyone's on a first name basis.) She scanned a copy of the envelope before I even opened it, then scanned a copy of the check to forward on to whoever is in charge of such things.

 

[DrPizza]

A picture! I think I need a picture of the scammer for him to prove to me that he's not a scammer. "My neighbor (who is handling Ramone's affairs since he's away on business tonight) thinks that it might be a forged check. I carefully examined the check though to convince him that it isn't. I almost needed a magnifying glass to see that small print on the border! And, it has a watermark on the back. So, I know that it's a real check. But, my neighbor still isn't convinced. He said that a scammer wouldn't allow their picture to be taken. So, to prove him wrong, could you take a picture of yourself? Hold a sign that says <......> so that I know it isn't a picture that you downloaded from the Internet."

Suggestions for <......>??

 

[CrackRabbit]

I would send an email saying something along the lines of;
"HA HA HA SUCKERS! I'm keeping it all."

Just to see what type of reaction I would get.

 

[Ns1]

A picture! I think I need a picture of the scammer for him to prove to me that he's not a scammer. "My neighbor (who is handling Ramone's affairs since he's away on business tonight) thinks that it might be a forged check. I carefully examined the check though to convince him that it isn't. I almost needed a magnifying glass to see that small print on the border! And, it has a watermark on the back. So, I know that it's a real check. But, my neighbor still isn't convinced. He said that a scammer wouldn't allow their picture to be taken. So, to prove him wrong, could you take a picture of yourself? Hold a sign that says <......> so that I know it isn't a picture that you downloaded from the Internet."

Suggestions for <......>??

hasn't this already been done?

 

[Kreon]

"Hello Ramone, I hope you mother is doing OK"

or "ATOTFTW"

or "TOIDI" <---- Say this is a special greeting for wherever you're from

 

[killster1]

on craigslist there are tons of people with cars with the same story. This car is my sons and he died (insert way to die here iraq drunk driver etc) they want you to give all your info so they can have ebay agent contact you for the sale where you can be covered for 5 days if you dont want the car. hahah i just wanted to meet up in person and pay cash but same story with 5 diff people. Was very lame.

I just reported Dr pizza for check fraud hehehe. You know the check is stolen call the bank and have them cancel the account etc. Ive gotten several of these checks and they say "you been selected to be secret shopper go spend 200$ and moneygram 3500$ etc etc.. "

 

[dfuze]

I've been following 419eater for a while, and you can learn a lot of ideas from that site. One thing I have noticed over the years is that the scammers are more keep to skip pictures unless you can get them to firmly believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is money just around the corner after they do it. Get them to see $$ in their eyes and they are putty in your hands.

 

[DrPizza]

Check is for some corporation - ACP Mid-Atlantic. I'm not going to bother with the corporation - no one will get a penny from the big businesses via these scams (if such business exists.)

However, I politely left a message on the answering machine for the lady whose return address was on the envelope. I warned her that I received an envelope from a scammer, the type of scam, and that just to be safe, she should check her credit card activity since her name was on the return address label.

My wife was a little worried about "what if that's actually the scammer!" - But I don't think scammers are dumb enough to use their real name and address on the return label.

 

[dfuze]

You were right to warn the one who mailed it. Scammers often use "mules" to do the work for them, putting them in legal harms way when they think they are "working" a legit job.

 

[DrPizza]

I've been following 419eater for a while, and you can learn a lot of ideas from that site. One thing I have noticed over the years is that the scammers are more keep to skip pictures unless you can get them to firmly believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is money just around the corner after they do it. Get them to see $$ in their eyes and they are putty in your hands.

That's what I'm trying to do. They wanted a money gram from WalMart mailed to a certain address. I told them that there aren't any Walmarts in my area ("we're very rural and don't even have cell phone service! That's why I don't have a phone number." - previous email.) "So, I'd like to use Western Union to wire the money, if that won't be a problem."

 

[dfuze]

Curious, did you use the email headers and track the scammer's location?

If interested, after you screw him over w/ WU a few times, you can always tell him to send you his bank information. On that 419eater site, there is information where you can send his bank info and a bit of the scam information as they have links to the bank industry that can work to have his account closed down.

 

[DrPizza]

Sounds good! I started reading on the 419eater site. Huge place to have read through everything in half an hour. I remember visiting the site a few times in the past after a few of the "epic pwnages" of scammers. (the commodore computer, the carving of the couch, etc.)

 

[dfuze]

Yeah, they are a huge site, but a wealth of info.

As a side note, if the person who sent you the check doesn't believe you, tell them to head over to ScamWarners.com where they can show them probably 10 carbon copy examples of others who are in the same boat.