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There's a new internet scam that could cost you thousands of dollars.
Janice Byers finally decided to enter the dating world after her husband of 17 years died from a heart attack.She posted her picture and a profile on Yahoo Personals on the internet. That's where she met Joe Johnson.
“We started chit-chatting. He showed me pictures of his son, dog and cat...all kinds of things,” said Byers.“He said he's in Nigeria and he's refurbishing an airplane over there.He does a lot of aviation work. He's supposed to be a pilot and according to his profile on yahoo, he was a pilot.”
After a month of online chats, Johnson told Byers he wanted to marry her—but first he needed a favor.
“He said that he got hurt on the job over there. He wasn't able to work for a few weeks and he needed cash to get his medical bills paid.”
Through online chats, Johnson told Byers African banks put a 24 day hold on American checks, but he couldn't wait that long.He wanted her to send him five thousand dollars and said he'd repay her when the bank cashed his paycheck.Byers cleared out her entire bank account to send him the money.When she went to cash Johnson’s pay back check -- she found out it was a scam.
“I went to the bank. I put the check in on Wednesday and I expected it to clear by Friday. I went back and there was no money in my account.[The teller] said ‘this is a counterfeit check.’”
But Johnson didn't get her money.She put a hold on the check she sent him -- and was able to cancel the check when she found out it was a scam.
She plans to remove her profile from the website and hopes her story serves as a warning to other web users.
Check Scam Tips from the Federal Trade Commission:
Protecting Yourself
Here’s how to avoid a counterfeit check scam:
- Throw away any offer that asks you to pay for a prize or a gift. If it’s free or a gift, you shouldn’t have to pay for it. Free is free.
- Resist the urge to enter foreign lotteries. It’s illegal to play a foreign lottery through the mail or the telephone, and most foreign lottery solicitations are phony.
- Know who you’re dealing with, and never wire money to strangers.
- If you’re selling something, don’t accept a check for more than the selling price, no matter how tempting the offer or how convincing the story. Ask the buyer to write the check for the correct amount. If the buyer refuses to send the correct amount, return the check. Don’t send the merchandise.
- As a seller, you can suggest an alternative way for the buyer to pay, like an escrow service or online payment service. There may be a charge for an escrow service. If the buyer insists on using a particular escrow or online payment service you’ve never heard of, check it out. Visit its website, and read its terms of agreement and privacy policy. Call the customer service line. If there isn’t one — or if you call and can’t get answers about the service’s reliability — don’t use the service. To learn more about escrow services and online payment systems, visit ftc.gov/onlineshopping.
- If you accept payment by check, ask for a check drawn on a local bank, or a bank with a local branch. That way, you can make a personal visit to make sure the check is valid. If that’s not possible, call the bank where the check was purchased, and ask if it is valid. Get the bank’s phone number from directory assistance or an Internet site that you know and trust, not from the check or from the person who gave you the check.
- If the buyer insists that you wire back funds, end the transaction immediately. Legitimate buyers don’t pressure you to send money by wire transfer services. In addition, you have little recourse if there’s a problem with a wire transaction.
- Resist any pressure to “act now.” If the buyer’s offer is good now, it should be good after the check clears.
If You Think You’re a Victim
If you think you’ve been targeted by a counterfeit check scam, report it to the following agencies:
- The Federal Trade Commission Visit ftc.gov or 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). • The U.S. Postal Inspection Service Visit www.usps.gov/websites/depart/inspect or call your local post office. The number is in the Blue Pages of your local telephone directory.
- Your state or local consumer protection agencies Visit www.naag.org for a list of state Attorneys General, or check the Blue Pages of your local telephone directory for appropriate phone numbers.
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