Physics 3333 / Buyer Fraud

There's another scam which surfaced in the eBay community a few years ago and then spread elsewhere. It's a buyer fraud (yep - buyers can be scammers). One of our 3333 alums actually encountered this in the summer of 2006. Here's how it works.

You list something for sale.
A bidder/buyer contacts you to purchase the item.
The "buyer" gives you a story about having a cashier's check that is larger than the purchase price. The check is likely from another country (how about Nigeria?).
This situation is not a problem - you simply wire back the overage and keep payment for the item you are selling.
You ship the item and the deal is done(?).
A couple of weeks later your bank informs you that the cashier's check has been returned by the paying bank. The check was counterfeit (fake).
You are now out the entire amount of the fake check; the overage is gone (wired back) and the "payment" for your item was not real.

One of our students was selling a car via the internet. Someone contacted her with exactly this scam. She recognized the scam and avoided being swindled. CFB 3333 got the credit.

A Real Example

In the Fall term 2007, one of the class members was selling an item via the market on Facebook. He got an offer to buy that was clearly exactly the kind of scam described. Fortunately for everybody he recognized the scam and avoided being swindled. He also saved a copy of it and scanned it so you can see what it looked like. There are two pages.

All the ingredients are there.

In case you have a hard time reading the text, here is a verbatim transcript.

I will like to buy your item on behalf of my client if the item still available for sale. And I will pay any amount you which to sale it as your best price. my client will send you M/O or cashier's check as a mode of payment. I agreed to pay any amount you want to sell the item for me any additional money for handling. Here will go I am using this opportunity to inform you that the amount I am purchasing this item on behalf of my client. and ur payment will be made inform of cashier check or M/O also the amount that will be on the payment will more than your item fees because I will be including the shipping and state tax fees. I don't really know the exact amount that wull be.b cos it will be issue by my client who is owning me some money. and the reason of the over payment is that. the amount on the payment has been signed already, and it is more than your item fees. so once you receive it. you must deduct your item fees and western union the balance money back wull surely come with the payment. there will be no problem about the shipment. I want you to responsible for it. also make sure you deduct ur item fees and western union any additional money on the payment once you receive it. Here will go. i would have end the auction but I don't know how to do it. so i want you to go and end the auction for me asap. to assure you that i am really interested in your item. i will add extra $10.00 in ur payment if you end the auction for me asap. and email me ur mailing info and your phone# asap today. So i will like proceed with this transaction this my private email which is (secoman09@yahoo.com) so get back to me over there if you agree to sell the item for me. Bellow are the questions I have for you.
1)is the item in good conditions?
2)is any western union location where you send the balance money around you?
3)Can you make sure you get the check cash at ur bank the sanme day you receive it?
4)Can you allow me to send DH L for the pick up and complete the transaction the day you receive the check?
5)Can you promise me that you will once deduct your item fees and sendback the remaining money once you have receive and cash the check?
If yes too all my questions. kindly email me back asap today so that the check can be sent asap.
SO I WANT YOU TO REPLY ME BACKTO THIS MY EMAIL
secoman09@yahoo.com
Thanks,
Payment is ready for your item but I need ur full name and address and ur mobile# asap
Answer all my questions and get back to me with your full name and address asap today.

Do you see all the characteristics of the scam?

First - notice the fractured English.
Payment is a cashier's check or money order
The amount of the check or M/O will be more than the item price.
This guy wants to do tha transaction fast.
He wants the "excess" money wired back via Western Union
He wants to have the item picked up the same day

What would happen if our class member accepted this offer? See the description above. The check or money order would be counterfeit and therefore rejected by the bank or money order issuer. Scam complete.