2. Distant person offers a genuine-looking (but fake) cashier's check:
- You receive an email or text (examples below) offering to buy your item, pay for your services in advance, or rent your apartment, sight unseen and without meeting you in person.
- A cashier's check is offered for your sale item as a deposit for an apartment or for your services.
- Value of cashier's check often far exceeds your item—scammer offers to "trust" you, and asks you to wire the balance via money transfer service.
- Banks will cash fake checks AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE WHEN THE CHECK FAILS TO CLEAR, sometimes including criminal prosecution.
- Scams often pretend to involve a 3rd party (shipping agent, business associate, etc.).
I'm thinking of offering my services as a proper translator for some of these scam artists... I think with just a few grammar corrections I could really help them make more $ and I could make a good living as well.
Agreed! That was why I backed off. No legitimate business would write a check to a stranger. I told him I would only accept PayPal with 5% service charge. For 20+ years doing PayPal, I haven't lost a nickle yet.Besides which, wouldn't it be less trouble for him to deposit his paycheck and then obtain a check for the desired amount in your name from his bank? I don't know of any business that will issue you a paycheck in someone else's name (tax fraud) nor would I be likely to rely on a total stranger to remit the difference to me if it was really my money
Common sense says flee
Agreed!I've run into the same scam on Craigslist before selling other stuff. They will send a completely fake check that looks legit, and expect you to give them change. If you take that check to the bank you will likely get in trouble for bank fraud.
Agreed! That was why I backed off. No legitimate business would write a check to a stranger. I told him I would only accept PayPal with 5% service charge. For 20+ years doing PayPal, I haven't lost a nickle yet.
You're right again. I've never transacted guns on PayPal before, I did sell related items like red dots, etc.If PayPal finds out a payment transaction is for a firearm they can and have refused to release funds. You may have gotten away with it so far but you are taking a risk using their service.