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Nanny Scam?
Guffrey
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
My wife is a preschool teacher, and does a lot of babysitting work as well. She recently responded to an ad, I am not sure what website. Basically, an Irish family is coming to the States on Spring Break. Something to do with their company. They are looking for a nanny to take care of their daughter for a week. My understanding is the child would be dropped off at our apartment, my wife would "show her how Americans live", and my wife would return the child in the evening. I'll admit it, it didn't seem all that strange to me.
Until today. The woman sent the check via UPS. Now, why would she be sending the check almost a month early? After my wife recieved the check, she checked her email. This is when red flags went off. Apparently her uncle sent the check. The woman checked with her uncle this morning, and he says he sent too much money. Apparently, the $500 my wife is owed, plus plane fare. In total it amounts to almost $3,000. In the email, the woman says to go ahead and take it to an Instant Check Cashing place, cash it at the bank, or deposit it into her account and wait for it to clear. Then, they will decide on how best to return the extra money.
Now, I am extremely suspicious because of other email scams that sound almost exactly like this. Not to mention the grammar is pretty bad, she signs the email "C Smith", yet the name attached to the email account is Anita Combs. On the other hand, she seems willing to let the funds clear before any further action is taken. I told my wife not to do anything yet, and my wife sent an email saying she would be more comfortable if they could just cancel the check and try again. Advice?
Until today. The woman sent the check via UPS. Now, why would she be sending the check almost a month early? After my wife recieved the check, she checked her email. This is when red flags went off. Apparently her uncle sent the check. The woman checked with her uncle this morning, and he says he sent too much money. Apparently, the $500 my wife is owed, plus plane fare. In total it amounts to almost $3,000. In the email, the woman says to go ahead and take it to an Instant Check Cashing place, cash it at the bank, or deposit it into her account and wait for it to clear. Then, they will decide on how best to return the extra money.
Now, I am extremely suspicious because of other email scams that sound almost exactly like this. Not to mention the grammar is pretty bad, she signs the email "C Smith", yet the name attached to the email account is Anita Combs. On the other hand, she seems willing to let the funds clear before any further action is taken. I told my wife not to do anything yet, and my wife sent an email saying she would be more comfortable if they could just cancel the check and try again. Advice?
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(She's "willing to let the funds clear" because it'll take a couple of weeks for the bank to realize the check's no good, at which point you're in the shitter for the whole amount.)
Funds will "clear" with your bank in a few days, however it can take weeks before they realise the cheque was a fake. Once they so, they grab back the funds from you, however by that time you have already handed over the extra money and end up out of pocket.
If (and it's a big IF) it is legit, I would speak with the Irish family and say you dont feel happy cashing all the extra money. Then destroy the original cheque and get them to send you one for the correct amount.
Edit: beaten
Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
Also, do you have the return address from UPS? I would give that to the police also.
The FTC maintains a database that tracks all these scams.
If in doubt, it's a scam.
Stop this immediately and report to the police. At best you're going to be out serious money.. at worst you could be criminally reponsible for participating.
If you cash a worthless check, you're not just responsible for a check bouncing fee, you're responsible for the money that you got.
So OP gets $3000 check. Cashes check. Sends back $2500 because of the "over-payment." Two weeks later, bank calls OP, says WTF, that check was bad, give us our $3000 back.
A bounced-check is different because presumably the check was written from a legitimate account, albeit one that didn't have enough money in it. With this scam, the check or money order is forged and worthless.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Check_fraud
It's referred to banks most times as Kiting. Write a check when you know you don't have the funds to cover it, have someone else with another legitimate account cash it, get the money and say "screw the bank". As others have suggested report it and hand over the check, etc.
I vote for this.
Like others have said, if you do cash the check the bank will hold you liable for the money. This can potentially have negative consequences for your credit rating if you aren't prompt in paying it off.
Although I didn't come right out and ask it, I mostly wanted to know what to do with the check now, which you all helped with. Unfortunately my local police aren't likely to do much with it. However, because of my job (Loss Prevention Officer with a major retailer), we have connections with the Secret Service, a woman high up with the Postal Service, etc. So I am taking the check to work tomorrow, and my boss and I are going to talk to some people and see if anyone wants to pursue it. Thanks for all the help.
Edit: Also going to check out the FTC link, thanks again
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Question, what's the routing # on the bottom of the check, is it US based? Also what was the return address from the UPS shipping ?
There shouldn't be a chance in hell of you "buying it" at this point.
Tell the scammer on the other end to eat a cock and that'll be the end of it.
Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
Go go vigilante mode.
No serious, try to get as much information to provide to the authorities, you may very well be able to locate and stop them if you end up getting a phone number and it's valid, a shipping address (might be another person they scammed to have it sent to you).
It's probably going to be a disposable mobile phone issued in Lagos, Nigeria. And the address will be a freight forwarder or PO box or something.
Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
$20 says it's a laser printer in the aforementioned country, a bunch of generic check stock, and a pirated copy of Quickbooks.
Seriously guys it's a fucking industry there.
Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
For what it's worth, my former roomate got one of these some years ago when selling his car on Craigslist. He took it to his bank (not to cash it, to hand it over to them), who immediately escalated it up to the nearest FBI branch. He received the check back via mail a few weeks later as a souvenir, and last I saw, it was framed on his wall.
This is so awesome.
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