I got a check in the mail and I don't know why

[brandymac27]

Yeah, they're tracing it now but I'm not holding out hope I ever see those funds again. In the meantime I have to go through closing that account, checking that my other ones are still secure, that whole drill. Not fun. I wouldn't wish this upon anybody.

I am so sorry this happened. Good luck to you. I hope you get your money back and they put the people in jail where they belong! People like this make me sick!

[Bliz]

I hope they get caught. Every last one of them. The only thing is that now I'm completely scared b/c somehow they have gotten a hold of my info (address, name and God only knows what else). I'm filing a police report, but I feel like I should call the FBI or something. I don't know what else to do.

You wouldn't believe the volume of information that is widely available to people willing to pay for it. With the access I have to Westlaw, with only your name, in a half hour or less I could tell you things like:

Your current address and ph#

Previous addresses going back 10 years or so

the first 5 digits of your ssn

make/model/year/vin# of every car you own or have owned recently, and how much you paid for those cars

your birth month/year

whether or not you're married, and your spouse's name

how much you paid for your house, who owns your mortgage, how much tax you paid on it last year, etc.

your complete arrest record, including plea deals and time served

That's without even trying, and using only legal methods (not that it's legal for me to look into anyone for any reason whatsoever, but not stealing info or buying it from someone who stole it). I know PI's who will get your cell phone number, every bank account you have and how much is in the account to the penny. I don't know how they do it, and I don't want to know, but they can.

[Bliz]

Yeah, they're tracing it now but I'm not holding out hope I ever see those funds again. In the meantime I have to go through closing that account, checking that my other ones are still secure, that whole drill. Not fun. I wouldn't wish this upon anybody.

Do some research on http://clarkhoward.com/ Although they're always trying to sell you some ID theft monitoring and fraud protection, I believe many banks (like credit card companies) have some level of fraud protection built in.

Also look into freezing your credit.

[btfoom]

You wouldn't believe the volume of information that is widely available to people willing to pay for it. With the access I have to Westlaw, with only your name, in a half hour or less I could tell you things like:

<lots of scary stuff> ...

Memo to self: NEVER piss off Bliz!!

[Zguy28]

I wish I was. I don't know how they got my information quite honestly. Maybe a merchant scammed it where I used my bank ATM card (it's the only thing that makes sense). In the meantime I just lost all my checking account funds (and I just put some funds in there the other day!). This stinks man!

That's messed up. Sorry to hear that happened to you bro. I hope you can recoup your loss.

[PCS]

Memo to self: NEVER piss off Bliz!!

Memo to self. Do not ban Bliz. :paranoid:

[DeanCollins]

There is no extra wording on the check or endorsement line?

that's what to worry about right there. I've gotten dozens of checks for $5k-$10k that said "cash this and agree to these terms..."

[brandymac27]

Well, I have faxed everything to Erosion Pros and both of us have filed police reports. I have offered to help Erosion Pros in any way that I can with their local police investigation and they have agreed to do the same with me. We are also going to stay in touch with each other to keep each other posted.

I feel really bad for them b/c they are a very small business and if I wouldn't have told them what was going on, they would have had no clue someone was doing this to them. This scam could have ruined their business, so in a way, I'm glad this happened to me b/c I feel like if someone else would have gotten the check they might have just cashed it and not contacted them to ask why they sent them this check.

So, even though I'm scared and pissed these criminals have some of my personal information, something good did come out of all this.

[kuraitengai]

I hope they get caught. Every last one of them. The only thing is that now I'm completely scared b/c somehow they have gotten a hold of my info (address, name and God only knows what else). I'm filing a police report, but I feel like I should call the FBI or something. I don't know what else to do.

well in all honesty, getting ahold of your name and address isnt that hard. i mean, just go through a phone book and pick out a random name, mail a check, wait for them to cash, and you have yourself the beginnings of a scam.

i sorta freaked this girl out once cuz i said i could find anything about anything, and she said 'fine, find everything out about me'...i had her name and phone #, in about 10 minutes i had her 4 previous addresses, her husbands previous 5 addresses and some other stuff. all of it by just googling and using reverse phone # look up sites that are tied into the background information stuff. all of it done for free.

so, in short, getting peoples info isnt that hard to do.

edit: what bliz said.

[brandymac27]

well in all honesty, getting ahold of your name and address isnt that hard. i mean, just go through a phone book and pick out a random name, mail a check, wait for them to cash, and you have yourself the beginnings of a scam.

i sorta freaked this girl out once cuz i said i could find anything about anything, and she said 'fine, find everything out about me'...i had her name and phone #, in about 10 minutes i had her 4 previous addresses, her husbands previous 5 addresses and some other stuff. all of it by just googling and using reverse phone # look up sites that are tied into the background information stuff. all of it done for free.

so, in short, getting peoples info isnt that hard to do.

edit: what bliz said.

I just hope that all they have is my name and address. I'm going to call Equifax and tell them what happened and let them know that I don't know what info they have on me, so be on the lookout for someone trying to use my ss#.

[haithman]

[skinsfan07]

Yo, I'd take that check straight to a sketchy Check Cashing place and get that money asap. haha if they didn't take it, I'd know it was a scam and then shred the check.

But if they DID take it, I'd be over 2000 bucks richer.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

This sounds like a line of credit to me.

I suspect that if you cash this, they will expect repayment plus interest. Be wary.

[brandymac27]

This sounds like a line of credit to me.

I suspect that if you cash this' date=' they will expect repayment plus interest. Be wary.[/quote']

It's not a line of credit thing. This company Erosion Pros had someone steal their banking info.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

By the way, if it is a line of credit, taking it to a cash checking company is the worst thing you can do. You will lost whatever percentage you lose in cashing the check AND you will still owe the balance plus interest. You'll be getting hit both ways.

Pray caution.

[abdcskins]

Wow. I just read this whole thread. Interesting.

I want the number to this Allen/Mark/Richard fellow. It would be fun to F with him. And then curse him out.

[DCranon21]

Hey BM..there is a special on Dateline they are showing I think tonight and tomorrow about this scam. They showed on Morning Joe this morning about what the checks look like and how they can be real. Let me find out the time.

[brandymac27]

Hey BM..there is a special on Dateline they are showing I think tonight and tomorrow about this scam. They showed on Morning Joe this morning about what the checks look like and how they can be real. Let me find out the time.

OMG! Thanks for telling me. I have to definitely watch this!

Wait, I checked the channel guide and it says the show is something about the financial fiasco. Did they specifically say they would be talking about this scam?

[ljs]

I don't want to hijack the thread, but I just got a supposed email from the FBI Director, Robert Muller....I want to post it...cool to do in this thread BM or should I start a new one for that? (it's a bit long)

[brandymac27]

Wow. I just read this whole thread. Interesting.

I want the number to this Allen/Mark/Richard fellow. It would be fun to F with him. And then curse him out.

I know. I REALLY want to post it, but I'm scared it might interfere with the police investigation. If too many people call, he might change the number. And right now, he's the only contact that we have in this scam ring.

[brandymac27]

I don't want to hijack the thread, but I just got a supposed email from the FBI Director, Robert Muller....I want to post it...cool to do in this thread BM or should I start a new one for that? (it's a bit long)

Feel free to post it. I don't mind at all.

[ljs]

Ok, I got this in my email today....I've read it a few times, but still a lil confusing. I know it's not real, but weird none the less. ANyone think I should forward it on to authorities? Seems like millions of these emails are sent daily, so does anyone really take them serious?

--------------------------

Federal Bureau Of Investigation

Anti-Terrorist and Monetary Crimes Division

Fbi Headquarters In Washington, D.C.

ATTENTION FUND BENEFICIARY,

This is an official advice from the fbi foreign Remittance / telegraphic dept,it has come to our notice that the C.B.N Bank Nigeria district has released 10,500,000.00 US dollars into bank of America in your name as the beneficiary, by inheritance means.

The C.B.N Bank Nigeria knowing fully well that they do not have Enough facilities to effect this payment from the united kingdom to your account, used what we know as a secret diplomatic transit payment (s.t.d.p) to pay this fund through wire transfer, they used this means to complete the payment.

They are still, waiting for confirmation from you on the already Transferred funds which were made in direct transfer so that they can do final crediting to your account. Secret diplomatic payments are not made unless the funds are related to terrorist activities why must your payment be made in secret transfer, if your transaction is legitimate, if you are not a terrorist, then why did you not receive the money directly into your account; this is a pure coded, means of payment?

Records which we have had with this method of payment in the past Has always been related to terrorist acts, we do not want you to get into trouble as soon as these funds reflect in your account in the U.S.A, so it is our duty as a world wide commission to correct this little problem before this fund will be credited into your personal account.

Due to the increased difficulty and unnecessary security by the American authorities when funds come from outside of Europe, and the Middle East, the f.b.i bank commission for Europe has stopped the transfer on its way to deliver payment of $10,500,000.00 to debit your reserve account and pay you through a secured diplomatic transit account (s.d.t.a). We govern and oversee funds transfer for the World Bank and the rest of the world.

We advice you contact us immediately, as the funds have been Stopped and are being held in our custody, until you can be able to provide us with a diplomatic immunity seal of transfer (dist) within 3 days from the world local bank that authorize the transfer from where the funds was transferred from to certify that the funds that you are about to receive from Nigeria are antiterrorist/drug free or we shall have cause to cross and impound the Payment, we shall release the funds immediately we receive this legal documents.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We have decided to contact you directly to acquire the proper Verifications and proof from you to show that you are the rightful person to receive this fund,because of the amount involve, we want to make sure is a clean and legal money you are about to receive. Be informed that the fund are now in United State in your name, but right now we have ask the bank not to release the fund to anybody that comes to them, unless we ask them to do so, because we have to carry out our investigations first before releasing the fund to you. Note that the fund is in the BANK OF AMERICA right now, but we have ask them not to credit the fund to you yet, because we need a solid proof and Verifications from you before releasing the funds.

So to this regards you are to re-assure and proof to us that what you are about to receive is a clean money by sending to us FBI Identification Record and also Diplomatic Immunity Seal Of Transfer(DIST) to satisfy to us that the money your about to receive is legitimate and real money. You are to forward the documents to us immediately if you have it in your possession, if you donўt have it let us know so that we will direct and inform you where to obtain the document and send to us so that we will ask the bank holding the funds, the Bank Of America to go ahead Crediting your account immediately.

These Documents are to be issued to you from the World Local Bank that Authorized the transfer, so get back to us immediately if you donўt have the document so that we will inform you the particular place to obtain the document in United Kingdom (U.K), because we have come to realize that the fund was Authorized by (H.S.B.C) Bank in London.

An FBI Identification Record and Diplomatic Immunity Seal Of Transfer (DIST) often referred to as a Criminal History Record or Rap Sheet, is a listing of certain information taken from fingerprint submissions retained by the FBI in connection with arrests and, in some instances, federal employment,naturalization, or military service.

These Condition Is Valid until March 31, 2009 after we shall take actions on Canceling the payment and then charge you for illegally moving funds out of Nigeria.

Guarantee: funds will be released on confirmation of the document.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Final Instruction;

1. Credit payment instruction: irrevocable credit guarantee.

2. Beneficiary has full power when validation is cleared.

3. Beneficiaries bank in U.S.A., can only release funds.

4. Upon confirmation from the world bank / united nations.

5. Bearers must clear bank protocol and validation request.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: We have asked for the above documents to make available the most complete and up-to date records possible for the enhancement of public safety, welfare and security of Society while recognizing the importance of individual privacy rights. If you fail to provide the Documents to us, we will charge you with the FBI and take our proper action against you for not proofing to us the legitimate of the fund you are about to receive.

The United States Department of Justice Order 556-73 establishes rules and regulations for the subject of an FBI Identification Record to obtain a copy of his or her own Record for review. The FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division processes these requests to check illegal activities in U.S.A.

An individual may request a copy of his or her own FBI Identification Record for personal review or to challenge information on the Record. Other reasons an individual may request a copy of his or her own Identification Record may include international adoption or to satisfy a requirement to live or work in a foreign country or receive funds from another country, i.e. Diplomatic Immunity Seal of Transfer, letter of good conduct, criminal history Background, etc.)

FBI Director

Robert Mueller, III

[Thirtyfive2seven]

Screw all that, take it to a check cashing place and find out if its real or fake. Offer a guy off the street $100.00 to cash it for you

[MoeRedskins]

go to a check cashing place and have them cash it. I wouldn't put it into any account of mine, just get the cash and pay the fee. or what the guy above me said.

Also, if anybody contacts you by email that you have never contacted before, it is a scam. Government agencies will not contact people through email.

[rd421]

Ok, I got this in my email today....I've read it a few times, but still a lil confusing. I know it's not real, but weird none the less. ANyone think I should forward it on to authorities? Seems like millions of these emails are sent daily, so does anyone really take them serious?

--------------------------

Federal Bureau Of Investigation

Anti-Terrorist and Monetary Crimes Division

Fbi Headquarters In Washington, D.C.

ATTENTION FUND BENEFICIARY,

This is an official advice from the fbi foreign Remittance / telegraphic dept,it has come to our notice that the C.B.N Bank Nigeria district has released 10,500,000.00 US dollars into bank of America in your name as the beneficiary, by inheritance means.

The C.B.N Bank Nigeria knowing fully well that they do not have Enough facilities to effect this payment from the united kingdom to your account, used what we know as a secret diplomatic transit payment (s.t.d.p) to pay this fund through wire transfer, they used this means to complete the payment.

Just looks like the typical send me your info scam...