State Police Warn CNY Residents about Internet & Check Scams

Story Created: Feb 20, 2009 at 11:41 AM EDT

Story Updated: Feb 20, 2009 at 11:41 AM EDT

ONEIDA, N.Y. - The State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Oneida have recently investigated several complaints regarding Internet & US Mail Check scams, also known as "Advance Fee Fraud".  Individuals targeted during the internet scams are most often selling an item online using on-line sales sites such as E-bay, Craigslist, or various on-line auto sites. The sellers are usually contacted via E-mail and offered money for their items outside the parameters of the online site. Once the seller agrees to sell the item the buyer will send them one or two checks/ money orders for far more than the actual purchase price of the item. The buyer then instructs the seller to deposit the payments and send the "over payment" back to the buyer. Often the buyer will offer extra money to the seller for the inconvenience. The seller is instructed to wire the money to an associate of the buyer using either Western Union or Moneygram. Once the money is wired it is virtually impossible to recover.

The US mail check scams are similar in nature. Usually the mailings are notifications that the receiver has won a large lottery or sweepstakes or in some cases offers for part-time employment are received. In all cases a check is included with the mailing. The receiver is instructed to deposit the check in their personal bank account and then withdraw the funds and wire a portion of the money via Western Union or Moneygram to an "agent" to cover different types of supposed fees or taxes. Again, once the money is wired the chance of recovery is slim at best.
 
Individuals in the central New York area have already lost thousands of dollars due to these scams. Cases like these are extremely difficult for police departments to pursue for several reasons. Once money has been wired it can be picked up anywhere in the world where their is a Western Union or Moneygram office. The individuals perpetrating these scams are almost always outside the United States and use ficticious names, identifications and addresses. Advance fee fraud is a global criminal enterprise that has netted the criminals over 300 million dollars a year from US victims. Checks sent by the scammers to their victims are usually authentic looking and drawn on actual banks. They may clear your bank initially allowing you to withdraw the funds. Once your bank finds out it is a forgery, usually several days later, they are going to want their money back and YOU will be held responsible for the money.  Individuals should protect themselves against these types of scams by contacting police if they have any doubts about the validity of an online offer or if they receive a suspicious offer or check in the mail.
     
    Protect yourself from clever Internet and other scams.  Here are some things to remember:
  •  If you didn't enter a sweepstakes you most likely didn't win it.
  •  If you are offered or given more money than you are due on something you are  selling it is probably a scam.
  •  NEVER wire money via Western Union or Moneygram to anyone that you do not know personally. If you even see the words Western Union or Moneygram you should immediately become suspicious.
  • You should be very suspicious of any correspondence originating from Canada unless you know the sender personally.
  • If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!!
 
Below is a list of official government web resources to help you report and learn about internet fraud:
                                                 

Reporting Internet Fraud

  • Child Pornography on the Internet
    This website gives you information on how to report child pornography to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
  • Complaints about Foreign Companies
    Report complaints about transactions with foreign companies. Certified government agencies may use this information to investigate suspect companies and individuals, uncover new scams, and spot trends in fraud.
  • Consumer Complaint Form
    Report both civil and criminal complaints, such as Internet, telemarketing, and other consumer-related fraud through the Consumer Sentinel database. This tool is used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies to gain immediate and secure access to your complaint.
  • Further Ways to Report Internet Fraud from Cybercrime.gov
    View this helpful chart of where to report various Internet-related crimes, including hacking, spam, copyright piracy, and child exploitation.
  • Identity Theft
    If you believe you have been the victim of identity theft, use this form to send a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).  While the FTC does not resolve individual consumer problems, your complaint helps them investigate fraud and can lead to law enforcement action. 
  • Internet Fraud Complaint Center
    Alert authorities of a suspected criminal or civil violation through the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC). The IFCC serves as a central place for Internet fraud complaints, works to find fraud patterns, and provides timely data of fraud trends.
  • Internet Investment Fraud
    File concerns and problems with individual investors at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Complaints can alert the SEC to a bad broker or firm, an unfair practice in the securities industry, or the latest Internet fraud.
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