I hate scammers. - DPChallenge Forums

Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux M Aspherical MF - Black

09/16/2009 12:33:57 PM · #1

I mean honestly, there is nothing lower than trying to scam a person out of their money.

Monday 14th of September:
Received what I thought was a job response after posting my resume to several jobs on seek.com.au (One of Australia's largest job search websites). I replied, of course, excited I was finally going to have work.

Tuesday 15th of September:
Filled out their little agreement form, which all seemed in order, no hidden clauses and professional enough. I also had questions, I emailed them, of course. No response until... I received a phone call from an Indian man who I could barely understand, but he seemed to have a fair grasp on the English language, it's common with companies based in the capital cities here, he asked me to begin working the next day. Ever eager, I agreed.

Wednesday 16th of September:
Received emails detailing what I had to do, this is where I got suspicious about it. I was required to take the money they sent, take my 5% cut and send it on through Western Union. They said the company took care of the taxes, but I wasn't sure that was how it worked, it was one of the questions I asked in my email previously; I also asked for a contact phone number.
I chatted to a couple of friends about it and they said it definitely sounded dodgy and to go to the police, so I did, I got told it was a money laundering scam and to change my account details to make sure I didn't lose anything. As I was leaving the house, I received a phone call from the same Indian man as the day before, he asked me whether I had received the money yet and I said "No" and he said a few things I didn't quite catch, not like I cared.
It took me an hour and a half to change my account details and it's still not done because I had linked accounts that I'll have to get shut down seperately... I'm glad I picked up on this before they managed to take anything as I had almost $3,000 in that linked account, when I got home, I sent a lovely email to the scammers telling them where they could stick it.

So, I definitely think I've learned my lesson - If it looks too good to be true, it damn well is.

scarbrd

Leica M10

09/16/2009 01:21:19 PM · #2

What a shame and a waste of your time and energy.

I would also report them to the job posting board where you posted your resume.

cowboy221977

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

09/16/2009 02:11:15 PM · #3

That really sux!!!!! Those people need to do time in jail

Beagleboy

Canon EOS-30D

Tokina AF 12-24mm f/4.0 AT-X Pro DX

09/16/2009 02:25:39 PM · #4

Originally posted by cowboy221977:

That really sux!!!!! Those people need to do time in jail

No. Kicked in the balls, THEN time in jail.

merchillio

Nikon D80

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

09/16/2009 02:27:37 PM · #5

Originally posted by Beagleboy:

Originally posted by cowboy221977:
That really sux!!!!! Those people need to do time in jail

No. Kicked in the balls, THEN time in jail.

how about kicked in the balls while doing time in jail?

RayEthier

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

09/16/2009 02:27:57 PM · #6

Originally posted by Beagleboy:

Originally posted by cowboy221977:
That really sux!!!!! Those people need to do time in jail

No. Kicked in the balls, THEN time in jail.

...or take em into da swamp an use em for alligator bait... hehehehe

Ray

PhotoDave

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II

09/16/2009 02:29:56 PM · #7

how about roasted nuts over an open fire :P

Mick

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

09/16/2009 05:22:17 PM · #8

Hang 'em by their balls over a tank full of hungry sharks and give them a rusty knife.

Beagleboy

Canon EOS-30D

Tokina AF 12-24mm f/4.0 AT-X Pro DX

09/17/2009 07:10:04 AM · #9

I like the way you guys think

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

09/17/2009 08:02:46 AM · #10

Heh, they transferred money into my account. So I have $1,500 AUD sitting in my bank account and I've gotta wait for it to disappear because it's either fake/counterfeit or they still expect me to do their illegal work.

merchillio

Nikon D80

09/17/2009 08:40:02 AM · #11

Originally posted by Indoctrine:

Since you already went to the police with that, I'd say to go see the police again, and inform them of the transfer, don't risk being accused of passive complicity.

Intelli

Nikon D300

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

09/17/2009 08:44:33 AM · #12

donate the money to charity

RayEthier

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

09/17/2009 08:52:28 AM · #13

Originally posted by Intelli:

donate the money to charity

You can't donate that which you know is not yours... I would recommend to follow merchillo's advice.

Ray

AJSullivan

09/17/2009 09:14:49 AM · #14

The way that scam works is this:

You are a sucker so you take the gig, they send you a western union check, you cash it, take the 5% and then forward the rest along. After youve done this, the bank realizes that its not a legit western union check, and they then hold you responsible for the amount, which you sent to some dude in India. So if the check is never cashed by you, there is nothing to do other than chalk it up as a learning experience and that any job where you get paid to do nothing is probably not a legit job.

Message edited by author 2009-09-17 09:15:37.

AJSullivan

09/17/2009 09:16:47 AM · #15

You will get a ton of these if you have your resume on any of those sites. I was getting 4 or 5 a day when I was on monster.com and careerbuilder. All the same deal, you cash a check, take your cut, and then forward them the difference.

09/17/2009 09:37:38 AM · #16

Yeah, I didn't have my resume up publicly though, but I've definitely learned my lesson now. Anyway, I contacted the federal police and the guy said that, from experience the money usually disappears within a few days and he said I was doing all the right things and the only thing I have to watch out for is identity theft, but they don't have nearly enough details to do that, thankfully.

I have a few friends with friends in high places that are going to push this through the federal police and get something done about it.

Also, I didn't get an actual check, they deposited money into my bank account as far as I can see it, from some bank called "Big Sky Credit Union"

Message edited by author 2009-09-17 09:41:16.

AJSullivan

09/17/2009 10:02:07 AM · #17

Oh the cash is physically there? Well thats an interesting difference. I don't see how it could dissapear then...maybe youll get lucky haha.

09/17/2009 10:05:39 AM · #18

Originally posted by ajdelaware:

Oh the cash is physically there? Well thats an interesting difference. I don't see how it could dissapear then...maybe youll get lucky haha.

Maybe, but that account is no longer linked with my others, so I can't get to it anymore unless I go into a bank. But I don't know that it's physically there, but my bank account says that it's in there as "available balance"... so I don't know.

But yes, other than that, the deal is the same. They wanted me to take the money out IN CASH, keep 5% for myself and forward the rest on through Western Union.

And I'm not sure if it was an echeque either because it came through within two days of the initial contact. :S

Message edited by author 2009-09-17 10:08:28.

Matthew

Peleng 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye MC In M42 Mount

09/17/2009 11:51:19 AM · #19

Originally posted by Indoctrine:

Originally posted by ajdelaware:
Oh the cash is physically there? Well thats an interesting difference. I don't see how it could dissapear then...maybe youll get lucky haha.

Maybe, but that account is no longer linked with my others, so I can't get to it anymore unless I go into a bank. But I don't know that it's physically there, but my bank account says that it's in there as "available balance"... so I don't know.

But yes, other than that, the deal is the same. They wanted me to take the money out IN CASH, keep 5% for myself and forward the rest on through Western Union.

And I'm not sure if it was an echeque either because it came through within two days of the initial contact. :S

Don't do anything with the money.

The way that the scam works is that they pay $1500 by cheque into your account.

You wire $1450 using western union to a western union branch.

They go to that western union branch and receive $1450 cash.

Your bank calls you 5-10 days later to say that the cheque you received was a fraud and that the cheque has bounced and not cleared. It corrects your account by deducting $1500.

You have a claim against the scammer who paid a dummy cheque into your account and got you to turn it into hard cash in an anonymous way before it cleared. Good luck with collecting that...

People are losing tens of thousands of dollars before the first cheque bounces through this scam and they realise it is a fraud - usually people who are desperately in need of money and cannot afford to lose these sums. Despicable.

Message edited by author 2009-09-17 11:54:19.

Matthew

Peleng 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye MC In M42 Mount

09/17/2009 11:59:52 AM · #20

Originally posted by ajdelaware:

Oh the cash is physically there? Well thats an interesting difference. I don't see how it could dissapear then...maybe youll get lucky haha.

It disappears because deposited cheques show up as available balance (for customer convenience) but the cheques still have to go through a clearing system that takes 5-10 days - after which the cheque can be refused and the funds will not transfer. The bank customer is at risk if he/she uses uncleared funds or in the case of, say, eBay sales sends the goods off to the buyer before the cheque clears.

Technically - a cheque is a revocable instrument. An example of an irrevocable iinstrument is a bankers draft (which is a good way to carry a large amount of money using a single bit of paper - eg when buying a car).

Message edited by author 2009-09-17 12:02:32.

Strikeslip

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

09/17/2009 12:07:13 PM · #21

Originally posted by Matthew:

... bankers draft (which is a good way to carry a large amount of money using a single bit of paper - eg when buying a car).

I'd love to walk into a dealership with a paper bag full of hundred dollar bills to buy a car outright. I wonder what flexibility that would create with their price. :-D

RayEthier

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

09/17/2009 12:26:53 PM · #22

Originally posted by Strikeslip:

Originally posted by Matthew:
... bankers draft (which is a good way to carry a large amount of money using a single bit of paper - eg when buying a car).

I'd love to walk into a dealership with a paper bag full of hundred dollar bills to buy a car outright. I wonder what flexibility that would create with their price. :-D

Actually... not much.

I walked into a dealership in 2008, haggled over the price, got the best price I could then offered to pay cash for it... Guess what...I must be a real good haggler cause the price remained the same.

Ray