MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO --
The depot’s Legal Assistance Office is warning service members and their families against a recent outbreak of the Nigerian Counterfeit Cashier’s Check Scam that has targeted three members of the depot family in the past two months.
In one case, an individual was conned out of $6,000 in a check-fraud scam. Another individual received a suspicious check and brought it into the Legal Assistance Office; the check turned out to be fraudulent and the person avoided being swindled.
The victim, who asked to remain anonymous, was browsing the classified ads online for a job where she could work from home. She found one located in the United Kingdom that was looking for a payment officer to handle their American clients. The scammer explained to her that her job would be to cash money orders, send the cash back to him and keep 10 percent for herself. She did this for three checks, but when she took the forth check to her own bank, they immediately told her it was fraudulent.
Over time the three checks she had cashed with the other bank also came back as fraudulent. She said that when she tried to contact the scammer, he never responded.
“I was held liable for the money lost and now I am in a considerable amount of debt because of this scam,” said the victim. “All I was told I could do was file a complaint over the internet.”
The victim said that since she was scammed, she has been contacted by many other con artists looking to hire her for similiar jobs.
There are many different variations of the Nigerian Counterfeit Cashier’s Check Scam, the scammers have some very sophisticated schemes, according to Angela Anderson, general attorney, Legal Assistance Office.
Individuals are targeted through sales ads, lotteries and secret shopper scams. The payment can come in the form of counterfeit cashier’s checks, money orders, corporate or personal checks that look so genuine that many banks cannot tell they are illegitimate.
The scammers often target consumers who are selling high-priced items through classified or online auction ads, according to www.consumerfraudreporting.org.
The scammer will reply to the ad and ask if he can pay for the merchandise using a check. They then concoct a reason for writing a check for more than the purchase price, and ask the seller to wire back the difference after he deposits the check.
It may take two or three weeks to confirm the check’s authenticity. By then it is too late for the victim, who has already wired the money to the con artist, and they are held liable for paying the bank back.
“The scammers make their ads seem so believable, and often try to connect with the consumer using religion or common interests,” said the victim.
In a lottery scam, a consumer receives a letter notifying them that they have won the lottery. Accompanying the letter is a check and a note explaining the process to deposit the check and wire back the funds to cover the taxes and fees for the lottery winning. When the check bounces, the consumer is held responsible for the withdrawal made and must pay back the bank.
In a secret shopper scam, a consumer is hired as a secret shopper, and his first job is to evaluate a money transfer service. The consumer is given a check and told to deposit it in his bank account and withdraw the amount in cash. Then, the consumer is told to take the cash to the money transfer service and send the transfer to a person in another city. When the deposited check bounces, the consumer is held liable to the bank.
Service members and civilians who receive suspicious checks or have questions regarding these scams should contact the Legal Assistance Office (Bldg. 12) at (619) 524-4105 immediately. Walk-in hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8-10 a.m.