What Happens If You DO Cash The Scammer's Check?

What Happens If You DO Cash The Check?

Real Life Story of a Victim of a Fake Payment Scam
This one involving "Shao Fung" of "Delixi Corp"

If you've wondered what happens if you did cash a forged or fake check form that job as a "payment transfer manager", read this note from an actual victim (We're sorry about the all capitals print, but that was what he wrote.  To make it easier to read, we highlighted key passages):

I FOUND THIS WEBSITE (Consumer Fraud Reporting) WHILE SURFING AROUND AND DECIDED I WANTED TO POST A MESSAGE.  I HOPE OTHERS READ THIS AND LEARN FROM MY MISTAKE.

I GOT AN EMAIL ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS AGO FROM A GUY NAMED SHAO FUNG WHO IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF DELIXI CORP. 

SHAO WAS INQUIRING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF ME WORKING FOR DELIXI AS A PAYMENT REPRESENTATIVE.  ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MAKE EXTRA MONEY, I DECIDED TO RESPOND TO THE OFFER. 

TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT I RECEIVED A CHECK AND ATTEMPTED TO CASH IT AT A CHECK CASHING PLACE.  THE CLERK CALLED THE POLICE AFTER APPARENTLY CALLING THE BANK AND THE PLACE FROM WHERE THE CHECK WAS SUPPOSEDLY ISSUED FROM AND HAD ME ARRESTED FOR FORGERY.  I GOT TO SPEND A WONDERFUL THIRTY DAYS IN THE DENVER COUNTY JAIL BEFORE I WAS RELEASED.  AFTER BEING RELEASED WE WENT TO COURT. 

JUST TO LET YOU KNOW I HAVE A PREVIOUS CONVICTION FOR THEFT FROM ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO BUT I WAS NOT TRYING TO DO ANYTHING ILLEGAL IN THIS SITUATION, ONLY TRYING TO MAKE EXTRA MONEY AS I AM CURRENTLY PAYING RESTITUTION ON THE FIRST CONVICTION. 

ANYWAY MY ATTORNEY BASICALLY ROLLED OVER LIKE A DOG AND SHE TALKED ME INTO ACCEPTING A CONVICTION ON THE FORGERY CHARGE WITH PROBATION TO RUN CONCURRENT WITH MY FIRST CONVICTION. 

I AM ALSO A RECOVERING ALCOHOLIC AND AFTER  COURT WAS OUT THAT DAY I WENT OUT AND GOT REALLY HAMMERED.  FELL OFF THE WAGON FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THREE YEARS.  I DON'T THINK IT HELPED THAT MY ATTORNEY APPARENTLY ALSO HAD A HIGH PROFILE MURDER CASE SHE WAS WORKING ON. SHE DIDN'T SEEM TO CONCERN WITH MY CASE. 

I WAS RIDING THE BUS ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO AND STRUCK UP A CONVERSATION WITH A GENTLEMAN.  HE IS IN THE PROCESS OF SUING THE DENVER COLORADO POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR EXCESSIVE FORCE.  CLAIMED HE WAS TASERED WHILE LAYING ON THE GROUND NOT MOVING.  HE EXPLAINED SOMETHING TO ME-APPARENTLY WHEN A CRIME IS COMMITTED, A PERSON HAS TO BE PROVEN TO KNOWINGLY, WILLINGLY, AND INTENTIONALY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO BREAK THE LAW. 

I WAS NOT DOING THIS, I WAS JUST TRYING TO MAKE EXTRA MONEY TO MAKE UP FOR THE MONEY I WAS HAVING WITHHELD MY PAYCHECK TO PAY THE RESTITUTION.  THE ATTORNEY WAS A PUBLIC DEFENDER AND WAS WORTHLESS AS T*TS ON A BOAR. 

I HAVE APPEALED THIS TO THE GOVERNOR OF COLORADO BUT REALLY DON'T HOLD OUT ANY HOPE OF GETTING THIS OVERTURNED.  THESE PEOPLE ARE DANGEROUS, THEY WILL SCREW YOU OVER AND CAUSE YOU TO POSSIBLY GET IN TROUBLE SUCH AS I DID. 

BE CAREFUL!  IF YOU RECEIVE EMAILS LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE THE BEST THING TO DO IS DELETE THEM OR DO LIKE ME AND SEND THEM BACK AND CALL THE PERSON SENDING YOU THE EMAIL EVERY NAME IN THE BOOK AND QUESTION THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION.....

Click here for steps to take to protect yourself if you have replied to a scammer.

Examples of scam emails

Would you like to see actual examples of scam emails? 

And to see some of the names they use or confirm that one you received is a fake, check these pages:

Besides email, how to the scammers contact their victims?

We're discussing AFF scam emails, but the scammers will use any method to reach their victims, including:

  • Mail / Post
  • Fax
  • Phone
  • Chat rooms
  • Dating web sites
  • Matchmaking web sites
  • Mobile phone SMS (new)
  • Internet phone - VOIP (new)
  • Internet gaming (new)
  • Personal introduction
  • Web sites publishing general business contacts or for specific industries
  • Call centre / boiler-room
  • Door-to-door - in countries were an internet connection or sometimes phone or fax connections are not yet common circumstances.

If you would like a (more) detailed explanation of how the scammers in Nigeria operate, see this page.

More information:

And please let us know about any suspicious calls or emails you receive.  We look for patterns so that we can alert the authorities and victims to new scams, before it is too late!

 

 

 

For a comprehensive list of national and international agencies to report scams, see this page.