Fake check Scammer - [email protected]

I received this E-mail today, they are still at it!!!


-----Original Message-----
From: Katie Minton <[email protected]>
To: xxxxxxxxxx - Removed
Sent: Sun, Nov 28, 2010 10:49 am
Subject: Re: New Mattress and much more - $400 (Clairemont)


Hello,

Thanks for the response... i just wanted to let you know that i am okay with this piece and ready to buy it. I would pay you by sending you Bank Certified Check via Fedex next day air delivery and this is because i am currently away on a business assignment.
I would be responsible for the pick-up and the movers payment would be included in in the check mailed to you in order to avoid delay and to enable the pick up company to schedule an appropriate time for the pick-up at your location as I have other properties to be moved alongside this item.
Please delete the posting as am definitely buying it from you and i would offer you an extra $50 for this.I will also wait for the check to clear before the pickup is done.
If you have more pics please send them to me so I can get a better look.
If this is fine with you Please get back to me with the following so that the check can be mailed out to you.
1. Your Full name and Address
Also i am deaf so i cant communicate to you than via email as my tty and adsl have been sent out for updates.
Thanks and stay blessed

Welcome Bigswifty, thanks for posting this information so that it will show up in searches and help alert others.

As you're likely already aware but explained for the benefit of anyone else reading this topic, the key to identifying this as a scam is in this line of the email:

the movers payment would be included in in the check mailed to you

Every time someone wants you to process a check which includes an overpayment and send money on to a supposed third party, the check is fraudulent and that third party is either the same scammer or one of his accomplices.

I literally got the same exact email word for word except mine was from Kim Williams, it's a scam. Luckily i found that out before i gave him my info and the thing i was selling.

Welcome and we are glad we could help you. let your friends know about Scam Warners too. The more we can disrupt the business of scammers, the better.

Recently got the same type of scam email in response to a furniture listing. It was the first time I had gotten that type of email and somehow ignored the obvious signs (I'm deaf - but still want your home/cell phone number). Realized the scam after I had replied. I ended up getting the check FedEx'd to me. $2,450 for a $300 sale. Tried to get more information from them. Every response from them was " have you deposited the check yet?" I kept delaying trying to pull more info from them but all responses were to generic. I finally copied the exact wording which showed up in a previous posting and emailed it to them saying "does this look familiar?" Haven't heard from them since... Here's the initial response to my ad:

the email address was from a Kim Williams @ [email protected]

Hello,
Thanks for the response... I'm okay with the condition and price of the item and ready for its purchase. My form of payment will be by sending you Check via FEDEX next day air delivery.
I'll be responsible for the pick-up and the movers fee will be included in your payment to avoid delay and to enable pick up company to schedule an appropriate time for the pick-up at your location after check has been cashed as I have other properties to be moved alongside the item.
And secondly , Kindly delete the posting as am definitely buying it from you and it would be sad for me to have the payment in the mail only to be informed of the its sale.I will also wait for you to cash the check before i have my mover come for pick up.
Would have love to come over for viewing but I'm afraid that might not be possible due to my work frame. If you have more pics please send so I can have a good look. Do get back to me with your full name and address (not p.o box) including your cell and land number so I can make out payment.Also am deaf and will like to be contacted via email

Regards
Thanks and stay blessed

"She" has been busy apparently. Just got this tonight...

Hello,

Thanks for the response... i just wanted to let you know that i am okay with this piece and ready to buy it. I would pay you by sending you Bank Certified Check via Fedex next day air delivery and this is because i am currently away on a business assignment.

I would be responsible for the pick-up and the movers payment would be included in in the check mailed to you in order to avoid delay and to enable the pick up company to schedule an appropriate time for the pick-up at your location as I have other properties to be moved alongside this item after the check has cleared.

Please delete the posting as am definitely buying it from you and i am willing to offer you $50 to keep this for me.

If you have more pics please send them to me so I can get a better look. If this is fine with you Please get back to me with the following details below

Your Full name and Physical Address (as fedex does not deliver to p.oboxes)

Also i am deaf so i cant communicate to you than via email as my tty and adsl have been sent out for updates.


Katie Minton

If you have good reason to believe they're a scammer -

won't give you a phone number (either their accent will give them away, as Nigerian scammers can be virtually incomprehensible and speak Pidgin English mostly, the Nigerian phone code, or the dead giveaway 44 70 code used by scammers to hide their location).

payment by cheque (counterfeit).

overpayment (which you will be asked to pass on to another person, which is actually themselves, by Western Union. This is the core of the scam - you converting a worthless cheque into cash in their pocket).

they're away on a trip (uncontactable).

insist you to take the advert down (to hook you firmly into the scam)

Ask him to pay by Western Union and tell him when you get the money you'll take the advert down. That response will make a scammer cry, and that's good.

There is never any earthly reason why you should pay anything to anyone. If he wants to pay someone else, he can issue two cheques, but his scam doeasn't work if he does that. It's the whole point.

As a seller - never ever pay anyone else to get a deal. Doing that is the clearest sign that you're being scammed, and you're just giving your money away if you fall for it.

I received this e-mail word for word this evening after listing an item just this afternoon. Thank you so much for providing this service!
I cut and pasted this posting as a response. That should prevent them from contacting me again!

Welcome to Scamwarners.
We'd rather you didn't tell scammers about this site though. It's possible it may cause him to switch to a new email address that we don't know of. The longer they use one that shows up on an Internet search, the better.

I have just received the same thing from a Katie Minton and send them the address to the local sheriffs dept.

Hello,

I am so sorry for my late response, just to let you know that am okay with the condition and price of the item, am ready for its purchase and my form of payment will be by sending you a Bank Certified Check via UPS next day delivery.

I'll be responsible for the pick-up and the pick up money will be included in your payment to avoid delay and to enable pick up company to schedule an appropriate time for the pick-up at your location after check has cleared,as i have other properties to be moved alongside with yours.

I would have really love to come for the viewing but due to my work frame it is not possible please send me more pictures if you have some. Please do get back to me with the following

1.Your full name
2.Your mailing address(Physical as Ups does not deliver to P.O.Box}
3.Your phone number ( for the movers to contact you after the check has cleared)

I would offer you $50 to delete the posting as I am definitely buying it from you and to keep it off other buyers and I would have called you but i suffer from deafness so i can only communicate via email.

*Looking forward to receiving this information, so the payment can be made out asap thanks


Katie

I'm sorry to say that your sheriff can't do anything, and it's just an inconvenience to him.

The most annoying thing you can do to the scammer - ignore him - honestly.

Nothing hurts a scammer more than that. He won't know why his offer didn't work and it'll eat away at his confidence. They spend hours sending out mails and the thought that they might be wasting their time is the most corrosive idea you can put in their tiny minds.

I just got this reply to my ad on craigslist from Laura Mccray [email protected]
this is crazy !!

Hello,

it is me Laura thanks for getting back to me i want to buy this but the only way i can pay you is via a Bank Certified Check that i would mail to you using the FedEx overnight delivery,

To make sure that everything goes smoothly i would wait for the check to clear before the pickup is done, I would be responsible for the pickup and it would be done by the movers and their payment would be included in the check i mail to you and this is all due to my disability (am deaf) and it makes it hard for me deal with this and it makes the transaction better and quicker.

I know you were not expecting this and I would have loved to come for the viewing but i cant I really want it and am offering an extra $50 for you to delete the posting to show i want it as i am just settling into my new house i want good deals to furnish the apartment i stay in.

if you are okay with this please send me extra pictures and get back to me with the following

Your Full name
Your Physical address (as FedEx does not deliver to P.oboxes)


I await your response . thank you and stay blessed

Welcome to ScamWarners sharkyoben. Thank you for posting this information, it will be helpful to others who search to find if they are dealing with a scammer.

Well, I got the same SCAM... Laura McCray,AKA, jormup croos <[email protected], [email protected], louisekelseyx55 McCray <[email protected] to buy my item on craigslist.com
for $250.00 but the "bank check" that was delivered by FEDEX for 10 times MORE gave me a big red FLAGG that this was a fraud. So lookout for FedEx checks (they can use Fedex but not the U.S. Postal Service because that would be a FEDERAL Fraud Case in the U.S..The check does not have a bank number in the top right, 1st mistake, but the biggest mistake is spelling the name of the company on the check wrong. WOW stupid and illiterate.
And finally ZULA INC FedEx address is fake, the address to send the “movers cash” through Western Union is not a real person nor do they have a real address in Long Beach, CA since Google earth can see that the address does not exist.

Stop telling people you are deaf, I felt sorry for you. Shame on you using a disability to try to steal from people. I’m reporting you to Federal Trade Commission: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

They're still active. Email address this time is [email protected].

Names in the email are:
- Louise Kelsy
- Laura McCray
- Virgie Harris

They sent over $2000 for a $200 item listed on Craigslist. We started getting suspicious when they gave us a California address (we're in the Chicago area), used a Texas bank (Amegy), and seemed to be asking us to arrange the moving people.

I suppose we "got" them as they had to FedEx a package overnight to us from California, which would cost them close to $50, but I'm glad we found this forum to confirm the scamminess of the transaction.

Hello <redacted>,

How are you doing today? it is me Kelsey and this my main email I just wanted to let you know that the check has been delivered via Fedex today thanks for your honesty towards this transaction so far. Well, the overpayment is meant to cover the cost of shipment for the item alongside my other properties including tax and insurance plus the movers and agent fees.

Please deposit the check today so that it clears tomorrow after the check has cleared,All you have to do is go the bank and have the rest of the money withdrawn in cash and have it sent to the movers via Money Gram

Name : VIRGIE HARRIS
Address : 112 W. Ocean Blvd
City : Long Beach
state : CA
Post code : 90802

Do let me know your schedule for the week regarding pickup as i have some other properties to be moved alongside the item. Please do act accordingly as agreed after deducting your money for the item, make the rest fund available to the movers via money gram at any of their outlet around
you or check on http://www.moneygram.com {click find location} and check for their outlets around and get back to me with the transfer details below (as it appears on the receipt) so i can contact the movers for the pick-up at your location ....Deduct the money gram money transfer charges from my fund also $50 for yourself (meant for any hassle or run around).

1}Sender's name and address
2}Refernce number (pls send a scanned copy of the receipt if possible)
3}Actual amount sent after the fee had been deducted

Hope i can trust you with the overpayment? Your Honesty and transparency will be appreciated


I await your response thank you
Laura Mccray

I called FedEx and they do have a fraud department. They took the tracking number and the fraud dept will contact if they have further questions.

While their telephone system doesn't understand the word "fraud", pressing 0 a couple times gets you to a real person and it only took 30 seconds to make the report and get them the required info: 1.800.463.3339