Protect Yourself and Report the Latest Frauds, Scams, Spams, Fakes, Identify Theft Hacks and Hoaxes
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Example scams using these names: Kaka Smith, England
If you have something to sell, there is a scammer calling him/herself "Kaka Smith" in England waiting for you. It doesn't matter whether you own a business, a website, or are just selling something via a classified advertisement. If they think they can con, they will try. The scam is basically passing a counterfeit check to you to cash, then have you wire the money via an irretrievable, untraceable method (Western Union MoneyGram) to them or their cronies, who are located in a different country from you.
The scam works because banks take days or weeks to clear checks, and since the checks are forged based on real accounts (usually from checks stolen from people's mailboxes), your bank will cash it, based on funds already in your account. By the time it bounces, the scammer has collected the money from Western Union, and has disappeared into the woodwork in another country (usually Nigeria).
And he gets away with it because what law enforcement agency in your country is going to go to Nigeria to hunt down a small time con man who gave you a fake name and address?
Similarly, the names given, in this case, Kaka Smith may be the name of real people who are unaffiliated with the scam. But he's probably in Nigeria, not England. He probably has a confederate (assistant) in the UK who acts as a money mule. They may even be the names of real employees of the companies - the scammers can easily get their names by walking into an office, showroom, or from a company's website. Again, if someone tells you he is "Kaka Smith", you want to ask, how can you verify that he is this person? Driver's license is a start, but these can be forged, too.
See this page for more information about and other examples of this type of scam.
We may highlight passages that illustrate typical scam clues:
I would like an e=mail address where I could send a whole folder with several files in it (for investigation). It is correspondence originally between Kaka Smith and myself. Then the name changed. They ended up sending me a check for $3,800.00 when my merchandise was a total of $541.13.
The remainder, they wanted me to forward balance by western union after taking out $70.00 for my inconvenience to a shipping company. The e-mails are several over several days but I have kept them all. I have sent the original check to the Missouri Attorney General's office after talking to the Marionville Police Dept. in Marionville, MO. I took the check to Great Southern Bank and they informed me it was fraud. I then notified ZZZZZZZ.com where I had my merchandise listed. Then I sent a copy to the San Diego State University that the check was written on to the Comptroller's Office. Then a copy to the Wells Fargo Bank Corporate Offices. Then I got an e-mail saying they were going to turn me in to the FBI for fraud that I was suppose to send their money. Well it takes more than an hour to get money in your bank anyway but I did not deposit it. So I forwarded their e-mail to the Kansas City, Mo FBI office and made a copy of the check also for the Lawrence County Prosecutor's Office. The guy said he could not come to my store because he was in England. Please e-mail me and let me know what else I can do to stop this guy. I have saved all of the e-mails to him and from him. I want to protect myself and others. Help me do this please. Thank you very much. I also need to contact someone in England and whoever else you think. This guy needs to get stopped prior to him continuing with this practice.
Date: February 19, 2008
From: Smith Kaka [ smith_kaka080@yahoo.com ]
Subject: urgent needed
Hello,
How are you doing today,how was you night been?How is work,working hard?I am really sorry for not getting back to you asap;i was out of town and got back late...I am getting you in letting you know that the check will be getting to you TODAY thru UPS;kindly keep an eye out for it...I have gotten to my shipper also so he can contact you with some details and instruction on how to complete this transaction asap...Please kindly note again that the check will be getting to you TODAY thru UPS and let me know minute after you receive it...I want this to be completed asap and would also be getting back to you with details and the shippers information for the transfer of the shipping funds to the shipping co.rep...I will get back to you later today...Hope to read from me then.I do appreciate your trust,patience and honesty.Stay blessed and i await to read from you as soon as you have the check.Here is the tracking number to the check(j2094923096)
Regards;
Date: February 20, 2008
From: Smith Kaka [ smith_kaka080@yahoo.com ]
Subject: urgent needed
as soon as you receive this payment kindly western union the remaining money to:
you will western union the remaining money to:
Name: Kelvin Alan
Address: The Barracks, Barwell
City : Leicester
Zip: LE9 8EF
Country : United Kingdomas soon as you western the money kindly get back to me with all this info from western union.
1.MTCN NUMBER
2.EXACT AMOUNT SENT AFTER WESTERN UNION CHARGES.
3.NAME AND ADDRESS FOR PICKUP.
GET BACK TO ME WITH ALL THIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
Date: February 20, 2008
From: Smith Kaka [ smith_kaka080@yahoo.com ]
Subject: urgent needed
i call you yesterday concerning the payment you received via ups.go and cash the payment and deduct your money from it plus additional 70dollars added for your effort and patience and send the remaining money to this shipper information. you will send the remaining money to them via western union money transfer and get back to me with all this info.
1.MTCN NUMBER
2.EXACT AMOUNT SENT AFTER WESTERN UNION CHARGES.
3.NAME AND ADDRESS FOR PICKUP.you will western union the remaining money to:
Name: Kelvin Alan
Address: The Barracks, Barwell
City : Leicester
Zip: LE9 8EF
Country : United Kingdom
GET BACK TO ME WITH ALL THIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. as soon as shipper receive this money western union, they will come for the pickup of the item.