Hey anandtech, I haven't posted in quite some time, but I'm coming to you all now for your opinions on my situation. I'll try to make this story as short as possible:
I'm a college student who took an internship out of state and was stuck with 3 months left on a lease at college for a room I wouldn't be staying in. I wanted to sublet the room and after a lack of success, posted the room on craigslist. More than a month after I posted the ad online, which mentioned I was "Desperate" to sublet, I recieved an e-mail from a man claiming to be from the U.K. who wanted to rent the room for his niece who he would be giving a vacation to because she had done well on her college final exams. Eventually we get to the point where he wants to send my family a few thousand more dollars than the rent (well, someone from Canada would be sending a check from an American bank) and we are to wire the remainder to Maryland.
The day before the money is to be wired, I get phone call at 2 a.m. and a subsequent e-mail telling me the money should now be wired to Nigeria. I follow the instructions, and wire the money to Nigeria.
Things were messy enough already, but this is when they get MESSY.
I don't remember the exact sequence of events, but basically I start to be contacted by two people. Both tell me not to listen to anyone else, but one is decidedly more convincing about his knowledge of the transaction than the other. He is even able to describe the check that was sent.
He tells me his e-mail was hacked and I should send the money to Maryland instead of Nigeria. The wire is cancelled and sent to Maryland instead, the the transfer number is eventually sent to Maryland. Mind you, both callers sound exactly the same and claim to be the same person, but phone numbers do vary (one comes from Canada, the other says Caller ID blocked).
I here nothing from anyone the next day, but the day after, I start being called by the guy from Nigeria, who starts to claim that I have stolen his money by not sending it to Nigeria and instead of sending it to Maryland. He tells me via e-mail that his account was never hacked.
I tell him I followed his instructions, and if his e-mail has not been hacked then the money is in Maryland at the address in Maryland I was originally told to send it to anyway, so the money is not missing, it's just not in Nigeria, it's with his "client" in Maryland.
He then begins to threaten to have the FBI come after me, catch me, and "crush" me.
That is where the story basically ends for now. I recieved one more e-mail with more about how the FBI would be coming for me, but I changed my phone number because I was sick of recieving phone calls at least every hour from Canada or Nigeria. It's only like half a day later, but I'm waiting for that call from the bank telling me the check was a fraud and I owe them thousands of dollars which I don't have.
What do you all think? Have I been scammed? I appreciate your opinions.
Cliffs:
Room for rent.
Renter from outside country.
Check for thousands more than rent.
Told to wire money to another person in the USA.
Then told to wire money to Nigeria.
Then told, but apparently another party, that Nigeria was wrong and the money should stay in USA.
Then told by Nigeria party I have stolen his money and the FBI will be coming for me.
Change my phone number.
One e-mail since.
I'm a college student who took an internship out of state and was stuck with 3 months left on a lease at college for a room I wouldn't be staying in. I wanted to sublet the room and after a lack of success, posted the room on craigslist. More than a month after I posted the ad online, which mentioned I was "Desperate" to sublet, I recieved an e-mail from a man claiming to be from the U.K. who wanted to rent the room for his niece who he would be giving a vacation to because she had done well on her college final exams. Eventually we get to the point where he wants to send my family a few thousand more dollars than the rent (well, someone from Canada would be sending a check from an American bank) and we are to wire the remainder to Maryland.
The day before the money is to be wired, I get phone call at 2 a.m. and a subsequent e-mail telling me the money should now be wired to Nigeria. I follow the instructions, and wire the money to Nigeria.
Things were messy enough already, but this is when they get MESSY.
I don't remember the exact sequence of events, but basically I start to be contacted by two people. Both tell me not to listen to anyone else, but one is decidedly more convincing about his knowledge of the transaction than the other. He is even able to describe the check that was sent.
He tells me his e-mail was hacked and I should send the money to Maryland instead of Nigeria. The wire is cancelled and sent to Maryland instead, the the transfer number is eventually sent to Maryland. Mind you, both callers sound exactly the same and claim to be the same person, but phone numbers do vary (one comes from Canada, the other says Caller ID blocked).
I here nothing from anyone the next day, but the day after, I start being called by the guy from Nigeria, who starts to claim that I have stolen his money by not sending it to Nigeria and instead of sending it to Maryland. He tells me via e-mail that his account was never hacked.
I tell him I followed his instructions, and if his e-mail has not been hacked then the money is in Maryland at the address in Maryland I was originally told to send it to anyway, so the money is not missing, it's just not in Nigeria, it's with his "client" in Maryland.
He then begins to threaten to have the FBI come after me, catch me, and "crush" me.
That is where the story basically ends for now. I recieved one more e-mail with more about how the FBI would be coming for me, but I changed my phone number because I was sick of recieving phone calls at least every hour from Canada or Nigeria. It's only like half a day later, but I'm waiting for that call from the bank telling me the check was a fraud and I owe them thousands of dollars which I don't have.
What do you all think? Have I been scammed? I appreciate your opinions.
Cliffs:
Room for rent.
Renter from outside country.
Check for thousands more than rent.
Told to wire money to another person in the USA.
Then told to wire money to Nigeria.
Then told, but apparently another party, that Nigeria was wrong and the money should stay in USA.
Then told by Nigeria party I have stolen his money and the FBI will be coming for me.
Change my phone number.
One e-mail since.
It is sad, but true.
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