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Concern about a possible scam I've gotten involved in
Thread poster: Kristof Haavik
Kristof Haavik
Kristof Haavik  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 03:04
Member (2010)
English to French
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks again to everyone Aug 15, 2019

I thank all of you for your help. Things had not progressed to the point where anyone was sending anyone money, unless they already sent me a phony check, but I mentioned Western Union because someone said they would probably want their supposed refund that way. Yes, I know Western Union outlets are everywhere, having used them both in Palestine and on my way to Timbuktu (literally) in West Africa; I just thought surveillance cameras were also everywhere, or at least everywhere that gives out ... See more
I thank all of you for your help. Things had not progressed to the point where anyone was sending anyone money, unless they already sent me a phony check, but I mentioned Western Union because someone said they would probably want their supposed refund that way. Yes, I know Western Union outlets are everywhere, having used them both in Palestine and on my way to Timbuktu (literally) in West Africa; I just thought surveillance cameras were also everywhere, or at least everywhere that gives out money. The issue of being paid by check did not come up in the beginning of this whole affair or I might have had more serious suspicions earlier instead of just an uneasy feeling. But all that being said, I won't pass by a chance to break their kneecaps if I can. On that same trip to Timbuktu I had cash stolen (I know I must sound accident-prone, but that was the only other time, more than twenty years ago), which is why I needed Western Union, and I still remember that the local police in Mali told me "If you find the guy who took your money, we don't care what you do. Feel free to deal with it as you wish." But, alas, I didn't find him.Collapse


 
Katarzyna Slowikova
Katarzyna Slowikova  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 09:04
English to Czech
+ ...
Of course you can disclose the scammer's details! Aug 15, 2019

Kristof Haavik wrote:

Yes, I saw that; thank you. I also saw messages where people gave the specific e-mail address from which they had been contacted; is that not allowed any more?


It's OK, if the thing is an obvious scam, which yours is.
So go on, publish the address and the name the email was signed with.
The email body is probably the same as always, but you can publish it too.
In the unlikely case the moderators disagree, you'll get an email asking you to remove those details from you post.


Liviu-Lee Roth
 
Kristof Haavik
Kristof Haavik  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 03:04
Member (2010)
English to French
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Naming names Aug 15, 2019

Since it's almost my bedtime here in China, I'll wait till morning and see if the powers that be have anything to say about whether I should or shouldn't give out info about the party in question. Any name they gave me is fake, of course, but maybe they've used it before or will use it again (if they're not monitoring this board). A friend of mine was once robbed in Ottawa by a gang that repeatedly hit the same ATM--so repeatedly that they were caught the next day. So the good guys aren't th... See more
Since it's almost my bedtime here in China, I'll wait till morning and see if the powers that be have anything to say about whether I should or shouldn't give out info about the party in question. Any name they gave me is fake, of course, but maybe they've used it before or will use it again (if they're not monitoring this board). A friend of mine was once robbed in Ottawa by a gang that repeatedly hit the same ATM--so repeatedly that they were caught the next day. So the good guys aren't the only ones who can be naive, and sometimes they win in the end.Collapse


 
Adam Warren
Adam Warren  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 09:04
Member (2005)
French to English
Retain the evidence Aug 15, 2019

With deference to Katalin, don't shred the cheque, keep it on file as evidence. Don't ever try paying the cheque in, obviously, but yes, do move on. Reporting the circumstances that worry you is not breaking a site rule, even though naming the swindlers in this forum may be regarded in some quarters as a breach. Discussing such matters here is constructive, and helps others steer clear of such hazards.

Michelle Oviedo
 
Michelle Oviedo
Michelle Oviedo
United States
Local time: 02:04
English to Spanish
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The SAME exact thing happened to me! Aug 15, 2019

It's literally the same thing and story. Today I received the check for about $3000 but I noticed something was off and it is fake (there are even some mistakes). Of course I didn't cash it and I reported it to a federal institution here in the US. I don't really know anything about the person who "hired" me, she never said the company she worked for. But everyone should be warned against them, because it looks like some kind of group scam. I was contacted by a Gabriella and a Felicia Jordan.... See more
It's literally the same thing and story. Today I received the check for about $3000 but I noticed something was off and it is fake (there are even some mistakes). Of course I didn't cash it and I reported it to a federal institution here in the US. I don't really know anything about the person who "hired" me, she never said the company she worked for. But everyone should be warned against them, because it looks like some kind of group scam. I was contacted by a Gabriella and a Felicia Jordan.
BEWARE!!
Collapse


 
Liviu-Lee Roth
Liviu-Lee Roth
United States
Local time: 04:04
Romanian to English
+ ...
explained it several times already Aug 15, 2019

Kristof Haavik wrote:

I'm sure that's good advice. But if those clowns expect to have money sent to them by Western Union or some such thing, wouldn't that put them in a determined location where they could be intercepted by law enforcement when they go to pick it up? As you can tell, I'd feel better if I gave them a kick in the rear end before I walk away.



It is not a single, lonesome individual; it is a lucrative industry, with texts, names and scams sold on the dak web.

Most of the time, these crooks have "arrows" or "money mules", that is, people with fake IDs who cash the money for them.

Best action, DO NOT interact with them! I am sure that your e-mail ended up in their forums, therefore expect more "offers".

For your peace of mind, copy/paste the beginning of their message or of the text you translated and Google-search it.

Stay safe,
lee


IrinaN
Sheila Wilson
 
Davide Leone
Davide Leone  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 04:04
Member (2015)
English to Italian
+ ...
Move on Aug 16, 2019

Kristof Haavik wrote:

I'm sure that's good advice. But if those clowns expect to have money sent to them by Western Union or some such thing, wouldn't that put them in a determined location where they could be intercepted by law enforcement when they go to pick it up? As you can tell, I'd feel better if I gave them a kick in the rear end before I walk away.


As somebody suggested above: move on.
Don't expect to exact revenge or make them somehow pay for the time they made you waste. You will just be wasting more time.
I brought that fake check that I received and reported the scam I mentioned before to the local police station. I was told that since no money was lost by me, they would do nothing except keep a file of the whole scam on record.
For your peace of mind, go to a branch of the bank the check was drawn from, so you can verify that what we are saying about the fake check is true. If there is no local branch, just move to your next genuine client.


[Edited at 2019-08-16 14:06 GMT]


Liviu-Lee Roth
 
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Concern about a possible scam I've gotten involved in







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