Don’t Fall for Online Scams

First off I want to say there are a lot of legitimate secret shopper companies out there….  I have used them  in the past to get free meals and products… you don’t get rich off of them but you can get  a lot of free stuff… and if you’re cheap like me,  then that’s a good thing!  With that said,  I’m going to continue.

The internet is a haven for criminals… I’m sure this doesn’t come to any surprise to you does it?   One of my bestest  (sic)  friends was almost a victim to a money order scam. He was sent a money order with very explicit instructions on what to do and what not to do. It was sent express mail (but I have my doubts as to that even because the tracking number didn’t show up). If he did in fact cash the check and sent the money to the foreigners he would be a accomplice in crime and legally NOT a victim…. think this isn’t true, go ahead and cash it and see if you don’t get a visit from the police….  I was going to do a video of the scam and what he recieved… but the guy below did a much better job!  Watch and learn…. it’s very sad actually.  If you do business online,  you need to watch yourself and your money….

My advice to YOU:  Before you do business online,  do a search on google or youtube.com for other’s experiences…..

My big thing is this: Don’t cash any checks or other financial instruments WITHOUT some kind of recourse. The first thing I told him to do was call any numbers that were listed on the money order (or check) to confirm its validity. But before you even do that, be sure that you are calling a legit number. You really can’t trust anyone these days…. My advice to ANYONE that receives a check or money order in the mail…. CALL THE INSTITUTION IT WAS DRAWN ON to check it’s validity…. even if it does in fact check out, DO NOT SPEND THE MONEY UNTIL THE CHECK CLEARS. I can safely say though, if you are asked to cash a check or money order then instructed to send the money via western union after you “take some for yourself” ….. RUN DON’T WALK FAR FAR Away from the situation. This trick is cleverly disguised… in this case it was a secret shopper job auditing Western Union. You can bet that if you are asked to send cash to someone out of the country it’s a scam…. and you’ll be left holding the bag. I told my friend he just saved $928. Don’t be a victim, have recourse on anyone you accept a check or money order from… btw, watch for the fine print that is sometimes put on endorsement side… Store clerks have to validate money before they take it oftentimes, how easy do you think it is to create a faux check or money order? Don’t be a victim, call the numbers the check was drawn on and verify… don’t cash anything that was unsolicited.

So you’ve already cashed the check? Did you send the money overseas via Western Union? Sadly, if you did this, you can most likely expect a call from your bank or local law enforcement agency for a follow up…. Luckily though, banks are aware of this scam and will put a hold on the instrument so you can’t spend the money until it clears. If it clears then all should be good… but don’t count on it… and don’t send anyone any money until the check clears…. you can tell your victimizers that…. Cash talks, everything else walks…. Many of these scams are perpetrated on craigslist.com…. they have some good tips I wanted to share below:
[iframe craigslist.org/about/scams 604 500]

If you DO cash the check, you are actually an accomplice in a crime and not technically a victim. Take the test below to discover how vulnerable you are.

[iframe postalinspectors.uspis.gov/radDocs/consumer/mofeatur.htm 604 800]

If you sell on Craigslist,   look at the video below…. better yet type in “craigslist scam” or “money order scam”….

SO you’re confused? If someone approaches you with an offer to rent your house, buy your car or any property you have for sale online, run for the hills if they suggest any of the following:

1. send them money via Western Union, if Western Union is involved, BE VERY CAREFUL. Only send via Western Union if you have recourse…

2. If they are out of the country, forget it, don’t even respond… most likely it’s a scam.

3. If you have sold something… Meet people in public places (if you even have to) and NEVER go alone… DON’T let anyone in your home…. it can be very dangerous..