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How Do the Payment Scams Work
(Payment Manager, Payment Processor, Local Representative, Bookkeeper,
Accountant)
The Step-by-Step Anatomy of a Fake Payment Scam
If you've wondered just how these scams unfold, and what happens
at each stage, here is the step by step description of the typical fake /
counterfeit check / cheque scam:
-
The scammers get your name and email address, physical
address or phone number.
Maybe they found your email address somewhere online. Maybe you
entered a "sweepstakes" or win a car, tv or free vacation in a box at the
shopping mall. Somehow they got hold of your email address or other
means to contact you.
-
Scammers write up a scam email or letter.
Scammers
create a fake job listing that they email to you, or post on a job website.
Typically, the job description includes titles like "Payment officer", "transfer
manager", or local representative and requires that you receive checks and
payments, deposit them into your bank account and wire some or all of the money
back to the the scammer. The are constant changing the scams, changing names of
people, companies, job titles etc. so when one scam no longer works, they can
start a new one.
-
You receive the email, letter or call
The emails or letters are sent by people working together in a fraud cell.
The cell is a part of a fraud ring that consists of a few members who work under
direction of a fraud ring leader. If you saw them at work, you would see a
crowded room with laptop computers and cell phones. They're now waiting for you
to contact them, so they can begin to con you.
-
You contact the scammers and give them personal information
After you answer the first letter, they will write back asking for your personal
identification. Sometimes, they ask for this information in the first email.
This is used to steal your identity. They steal your identity by using your
personal banking information, passport number, driver's license number, or
credit card information. They don't care whether your credit is good or bad.
They use this information to:
-
open accounts you don't know about.
-
buy things on these credit cards, in your name and then do not
pay for them.
-
take out loans in your name and do not repay them.
-
commit crimes using your name and leave you responsible.
-
Felons may even get jobs using your name.
Creditors will contact you asking for their money. Police will
contact you and may even detain you for questioning to determine if you are
telling the truth.
If you have sent them a copy of your passport, birth
certificate, identity card, or driver's license; if you have sent them your
banking information or your credit card information, please
go HERE immediately for steps
to protect your identity.
-
They send you counterfeit checks
They send you checks, cashiers checks, travelers checks, money orders and
bank transfers (all are counterfeit) and tell you to cash it and Western Union
or MoneyGram wire most of it back to them.
Can't I just
cash the checks and see if they clear?
ABSOLUTELY NOT! The check or money
order you have received is certain to be COUNTERFEIT or stolen. If you cash it,
you will be responsible for the entire amount. You may also be arrested
for fraud. You can go to this website and
verify the routing number on the check and get the bank's phone number, then
call the bank to verify that the account is real and the check is real
-
But they said I have to Western Union or Money Gram them part
of the check right away
If you did, you cannot get your money back. Once the funds are sent through
Western Union or a MoneyGram and picked up at the other end, there is no trail to follow. You
don't even know to where you sent the money or who actually picked it up. The
funds you sent can be picked up at any Western Union or MoneyGram office
anywhere in the world, by anyone who supplies the name and identification on it,
which is usually made up / false. The criminals walked out the door of the
office with your money and disappeared, never to be seen again.
-
So what do I do if I receive a check?
Contact your
State Attorney General
- They will want to examine the check. Your bank, on the other hand, will
usually be of no help at all.
Click here for steps to
take to protect yourself if you have replied to a scammer.
And you might what to read this
email from an actual victim
telling what happens if you cash the check.
Examples of scam emails
Would you like to see actual examples of scam emails?
And to see some of the names they use or confirm that one you received is a
fake, check these pages:
Besides email, how to the scammers contact their victims?
We're discussing AFF scam emails, but the scammers will use any method to
reach their victims, including:
- Mail / Post
- Fax
- Phone
- Chat rooms
- Dating web sites
- Matchmaking web sites
- Mobile phone SMS (new)
- Internet phone - VOIP (new)
- Internet gaming (new)
- Personal introduction
- Web sites publishing general business contacts or for specific
industries
- Call centre / boiler-room
- Door-to-door - in countries were an internet connection or sometimes
phone or fax connections are not yet common circumstances.
If you would like a (more) detailed explanation of how the scammers in Nigeria
operate, see this page.
More information:
Explains how the scam works — Supposed Nigerians politely promise big
profits in exchange for help moving large sums of money out of their country —
and what to do if you get an offer.
And if you'd like a good laugh at how some scambaiters
like to turn the tables on the scammers,
read this article from the BBC.
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