Craigslist Scam: Cheque and Western Union For More Than Amount

I was looking for a job on Craigslist New York. And then I found this man who said he´s got a job for students.
I made contact with him and that is what he wrote to me :
--------------------------------------------
subject : Get Back To Me Asap‏
Von: Chris Power (pider122@copper.net)
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 24. Juni 2009 22:41:02
An: ChrisPower1@Ymail.com

I would love to meet up with you to talk about this job but I am currently away on business. I am in Australia so there will be no interview. I will prepay you in advance to do my shopping. I will also have my mails and packages forwarded to your address. If you will be unable to stay at your house to get my mails, I can have it shipped to a post office near you and then you can pick it up at your convenience. When you get my mails/packages; you are required to mail them to where I want them mailed to. You don't have to put money out of your pocket, all you have to do is have packages shipped to your house and do my shopping. You are allowed to open the packages to reveal its content. The content of the packages are computer and electronics, clothing business and personal letters. All expenses and taxes will be covered by me. You will work between 15 and 20hrs a month. How much will you charge per month? I will pay $400. That is not a bad
offer is it? I need your service because I am constantly out of town. I work in real estate and I own an Art Gallery in Australia. I will return to United State by Middle of September so this process will be on going till then. If you don't mind, I will meet up with you when I return and then we can talk about the possibility of making this long term. Well, let me know if you are able to handle the position.

I will email you the list and pictures of what to shop for me when I am ready. No heavy packages is involved! You can do the shopping at Sears, Walmart, and other stores. You will be shopping for Electronics and clothing. I will provide you my UPS account number for Shipping. All you have to do is to provide you my UPS Account Number and bill the shipping charges on it.. I will provide clear set of instructions for each task I need done as well the funds to cover them. If I were to mail you money to do my shopping plus upfront payment for your service, where would you want it mailed to? How should your name appear on the money? so if you still have interest you're to reply me back with all this following details.

Full Name:
Mailing Address(Not PO Box):
City, State, Zip Code:
Phone Numbers:
Age:

I wait to read from you.

Sincerely,

NB: The Payment Will Be In Money Order

Chris Power

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Its sound strange so I did not know what to do. I´m not receiving anything or sending anything that´s no mine to anybody.
SO I got curious and decided to see whats happend.
Then I wrote to him that I´m not receiving anything at my home! but an office on the post would be ok.
Then I have sended to him my details. (Telefon numbers and address.)

After almoust two weeks he answered me and I tought that this is really unusual!!
--------------------------------------------
Julian
Von: Chris Power (chrispower1@ymail.com)
Gesendet: Dienstag, 7. Juli 2009 11:07:47
An: xxxxxxjulian@xxxxx.com

Hello

How are you doing Am sorry am just sending you mail today i travel out of Australia so am back now? I want you to know that the Payment will delivered to you today by Ups Express and here is the tracking number ( 1Z9219TYNP95500164 ) Once you get the Payment. Take the payment to your bank and get it cash and once you have get the payment cash deduct your monthly salary that we agreed on as a monthly payment then take the rest of the money to a Western Union Money Transfer office and send it to my supplier at this details:

Name Of Receiver: Mary Adewole
City: Ikeja
State: Lagos
Zip Code: 23401
Country: NIGERIA

Email me the details of the transfer as soon as the money is sent. I will need the MTCN number with the total amount send to my supplier will receive after the transfer fees is deducted from the money. When the supplier gets the money, they will ship the products(Art materials) to you.. I will pick the materials up from you when return back to the states.. I want to meet up with you and talk about this job in person. How do you feel about meeting? What is the closest coffee shop to you?

Please go ahead and get this done. Email me the details of the transfer as soon as it is complete. I will be on the look out for your email to confirm that the money has been sent to my supplier. And here is the following transfer details needed.

Sender Name:
MTCN ( Money Transfer Control Number 10 digit ):
Amount Sent:
Text Question:
Text Answer:
Western Union Charges:

Thank you!

NB: Western Union Money Transfer Only accept Cash..

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

Then I said... oh!!! shit! this sounds like scam! and then I found this website!!!

What should I do when I get the check at home? Actually I will stay here just to the end of the mounth.
Then I´m gonna go back to europe.

Thanks all you people!
And I´m really sorry for the victims! Its abolutely amazing how this things on craiglist are happend.

Good luck!

here is an idea let us all scam the scammers. every1 that has anything posted and some1 is trying to scam you go with it let them send the check. it cost money to send anything ups. it may not be much but it will add up if every1 does it every time they get a scam response then report them to ic3.com and call the fbi fraud department

just a thought.........

Not just Craig's list has scammers..KIJIJI BEWARE of them
I just got scammed and Kijiji is not helping even thought they have info on the person who is scamming people because this seller is posting adds on top of pages, this is a service provided by kijiji that you must pay for..so they have info on this person...advice : stay away from kijiji and western union they too help scammers....

this just saved me a pair of ski's and a lot of hassle. thank you

Western Union®
Welcome to Western Union
Send Money Worldwide

Dear Ramel Robinson,

I forwarded your complaint of not being able to pick up your $5000 to our head office customer service centre and I received a telex from them stating that your transfer was not allowed and put on hold due to the STOP ORDER that the federal ministry of board of internal revenue(FBIR) faxed to our head office, westernunion operations unit.

The FBIR enphasizied that you have not cleared with them and you are hereby adviced to obtain the FBIR clearance so that your $5000 and the remaining balance be transfered without further delays. Our legal unit has communicated with the FBIR and they were informed that the cost of obtaining the clearance from the FBIR is $275. This clearance also covers subsequent transfers and you will not be required to pay again.

Also, we cannot deduct this fees from your money because it was received in bill bonds which we have lodged with the central bank and it will take 21 official days for maturity. We are using our own funds now to make the transfer so you have to send the required $275 to the Western Union head office and let them release your fund to you.

As soon as we receive confirmation of the receipt of your clearance fees today, our legal unit will go to the ministry and obtain the clearance so that the stop order on your money transfer will be lifted immediately and you will be able to pick up your fund.

Finally, I am assuring you that this is the only thing causing the delay of you picking up your money and as soon as the clearance is obtained, the stop order will be lifted from your transfer and you can pick up the first $5000 within 30 minuets and another $5000 will be sent to you today.

Go now and send the $275 with this information and forward it immediately to the Western Union head office so the necessary changes will be done for you to pick up your already sent $5000.00 and another remittance will be transfered to you again today, okay. Below is the information to send the clearance fees of 275 dollars.

Receiver's Name: Gabriel Oraunor
Address: Rue 14 Banque avenue, Cotonou, Republic of Benin.
Test question: USA
Answer: The world power
MTCN:.....................
Senders full name and address:.........
Amount sent: $275

Please forward the payment information directly to the Western Union head office so an immediate action will be taken to enable you pick up your fund, okay. Western Union Head office email; westernvnion11@yahoo.com

Thanks for your understanding and an immediate response to this directive will expedit action. Make sure that you send the wire information immediately after making the payment today to the Western Union Head Office with this email address ( westernvnion11@yahoo.com ) and also a copy of the email to me.

Waiting for your reply immediately.

Yours in service.

Mr. Joseph Motigwe
Western Union®
Welcome to Western Union
Direct line:+22993997667
www.westernunion.com
Western Union Payments

I got this email from a craigslist posting I have (see below):

---- Kriston day wrote:
> Good morning,
> I'm very glad that the item is still available, thanks for the prompt
> response and i will love to make an instant purchase, so please and please
> do withdraw the posting from Craigslist, i dont mind adding an extra $50.00
> for you to take the posting down from craigslist so that i can be rest
> assured that am in hand of the item.I will also like you to know that i will
> be paying via check,and it will be over night payment due to the distance.
> You dont need to bother yourself with the shipment ok, i will do take care
> of that. So i will need you to provide me with the following information to
> facilitate the mailing of the check.
> 1. Your full name
> 2. Your mailing address be it residential address
> 3. Your Phone Number.
> Once again, I will like you to know that you will not be responsible for
> shipping...i will have my mover come
>
> over as soon as you have cashed the check. Thanks
>
> Kriston

I RESPONDED:

Hi Kriston,

I would be glad to do this for you. If you don't mind, call me and I will
give you this information. I don't feel comfortable sending it through email.
Oh, by the way, what brings you to the Lakeland Craigslist? If I could afford
to ship 700 pounds of furniture, I would just go straight to the store. Tell
David Andrew I said hello - for he contacted me with this exact same email.

Have a great day! (and I sure hope to hear from you soon)

Sincerely,

Nodda Sucker

PS - I've never seen "Kriston" spelled with an "o" - way to be unique :)