Hello Beth Do not deposit it. When your bank researches the check they
will find it is a copy and has already been cashed. The next step is
they will either say their secretary sent you the wrong amount could
you send them ?$ of dollars back, or if they are smart enough they
will access your account and drain it. Depends on how creative they
are, Last year I received an order for ten dingle ferrets and 30 ball
toys from England. I gave him the price, and way of payment. I knew
something was up when I gave him the choice of shipping. PO was $47.
and UPS was $160. he chose UPS. Total bill was $230 including shipping.
He sends a $3000. bank check from Wal Mart financial. The distributor
who was handling the order said the purchaser sent the wrong amount
and would we send the extra money back with the order. I took the
information to the Post office and they said it was a scam. I was so
mad that he would try to scam our rescue I am still . I lead the person
on for over 6 months. First I told him I did not receive the check.
Then he sent a $5000 check registered. I told him it was way to much
and we were a non profit rescue and did not have that kind of money.
Then I was going away for two weeks and did not have any adoptions
or sales. I told him we did not have any major fundraiser's for two
months. He must have been desperate or very dumb. He even up the order
to 50 toys and 100 balls. Short story he sent three different check to
try to get whatever he could. I have a wonderful lady at the bank and
she spent three hours over the computer, searching to find that they
were legal cashiers check from Wal Mart financial, and they had already
been cashed so were forged copies. One was cashed in the US, one in UK
and one in Algeria. Also address from envelops came originally from the
United Kingdom, then Nigeria, and another foreign country. I printed
our all the emails, envelopes, and checks then made copies for myself.
I then gave all origional to the head master at the PO . He gave me a
form to fill out I mailed everything to the fraud department of the PO.

They are very smart this year with a new scam. Instead of ordering
things and sending large registered check, as donations, so you have
to sign for them. That is why they want your address. I have received
several emails from this gentleman you mentioned and the first one he
wanted me to send mailing address, so he could send donation. I did
not hear from him for two weeks. Then he said he went on vacation and
his secretary made out the wrong amount and it was too much so would
I please send back the extra. He said she had switched the checks and
the large one was to pay a bill. I had receive an email two weeks later
where he asked if I had received the check yet. I had not until five
days later. Unfortunately I was working. Since it came registered,
my husband signed for it. I brought it unopened, directly to the PO.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM I would call UPS to notify them of the scam. I guess
some of the frauds people know that they now can be followed by the
US post office and that it is a federal offence. So they are using a
private business. These people will try anything to get money from
anyone and all over the Internet. As a rescue over the last year I have
received over 15 different types of these sneaky people trying to scam
a small not for profit rescue. So please be very careful and check with
a lawyer to ask the best way to process donations.

I know most of you are wise enough to catch on quickly, but some of
these con artists are very creative on how to get money. Some only
ask for a $1. or offer you a lot of money to do something for them.

Signals of fraud : any donations or orders from out of the country.
Anyone asking for you to send them a personal or business check. :
If you are purchasing something check to see if they are a legitimet
business before sending out the personal information that is one your
check. NEVER DEPOSIT THE CHECK UNTILL YOU go to customer service and
have them check it out in front of you. Once it is deposited they
have a way of tracking your account. Emails or addresses from foreign
countries that have bad spelling, or punctuation. Most of these humans
come in groups with only one educated person and the rest in other
countries follow through so they cannot be easily followed.

If anyone on the FML has legal suggestions please share.

Donna

[Posted in FML 5864]