Casper woman targeted in classified ad scam

by Michael Moore
Wednesday, September 3, 2008 8:43 AM MDT

Alicia Loveland thought she was helping out someone who needed a hand.

When she posted a classified ad for a computer she was selling for $400, she received a phone call from a hearing impaired line inquiring about the computer.

The person on the other line inquired about the computer, and provided Loveland with an e-mail address, smithlay@ymail.com, to send information. She received an e-mail back saying that if she would hold the computer for this potential buyer, he would be willing to pay an extra $50.

“I told them that wasn’t necessary,” Loveland recalled. “I was really believing I was helping this person. I was willing to take this to them.”

She offered to deliver the computer to the other person, but despite several questions, never got an answer where the person lived.

The next e-mail Loveland received from the potential buyer stated that he would be sending her a check for more than the $400. She was instructed to cash the check, and send the extra money back to a person in London.

She knew then that something wasn’t right.

“When they e-mailed and said, 'give the rest of the money to the shipper,' I started getting nervous,” Loveland said. “They wouldn’t answer that question, ‘where are you from?’”

She contacted the Casper Police Department, and was told to send the check back with some sort of delivery confirmation if she didn’t feel comfortable with the transaction.

Soon after that, she received what looked like a legitimate business check from a California bank from the potential buyer in the amount of $3,500. She was asked to cash the entire amount and send back $3,100 to a London address.

Loveland again contacted the local police, and this time handed over the check and all copies of the e-mails she had received.

After she received the check, she received another call, this one from a hearing impaired 800 number. She informed the person she was suspicious and wouldn’t cash the check. The person responded by offering her another $100.

“When I started thinking that something wasn’t right here, I was thinking that maybe they were trying to get the computer, hoping that there would be information in there that they could USE TO steal my identity,” Loveland said. “But then, to get a check for $3,500, I realized it’s not about the computer.”

 

Beware of scams

Loveland was smart enough not to cash the check and didn’t lose anything. Had she cashed the check, however, it likely would have bounced and cost her thousands of dollars.

Scams like this are nothing new, according to the Better Business Bureau. Predators often browse online classifieds looking for opportunities just like this one.

The BBB recommends that a seller never accept a check for more than the asking price of an item. The seller should ask the buyer to write the check for the exact amount and if the seller receives anything else, he or she should return the check.

If sellers agree to accept personal checks, the BBB recommends insisting on a check written at a local bank or a national bank with a local branch. That way, the seller can see in person if the check is valid. If the bank isn’t local, call the bank to verify the check’s authenticity before cashing it.

The BBB also recommends that sellers use an escrow service or online payment service instead of accepting a personal check.

Anytime the buyer asks the seller to wire back funds, the transaction should be ended immediately.

Anyone who has been targeted in a scam such as this should call their local police, or the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).

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