RED ALERT! Check Scam

New Scam Alert!
Trina L.C. Sonnenberg

Recently, I was offered a job with John Holland Gifts. I was supposed to be a financial go-between for his company, which I was told, is located in the U.K.. I was to receive checks from U.S. clients, cash them, and keep 10%, and to wire the balance to John Holland Gifts. I played along.

Well, to my surprise, I was never asked for any private information, and I received an envelope from someone in New York, via UPS. (Earlier I was contacted by phone and informed that I would be receiving a check to cash.) So, when I opened the envelope, I was not too surprised to see a check inside; it was made out for $1,290.00. (I never planned to cash it. It smelled of scam as soon as I read the first email.)

Okay, now here's the good part... The envelope was sent from someone in New York, but the check was from someone in Texas. Since it was drawn on a bank I recognized, Wells Fargo, I called them to inquire about it.

I gave the woman on the phone, the account number on the bottom of the check, and low and behold the account was not an active account! Can you believe it? I can.

Since everyone has been warned not to give out private information on the Internet, these scambags are now trying to get innocent people to cash bad checks for them and send them a cash wire.

I guess when P.T. Barnum said there's a sucker born every minute, he wasn't talking about the minute I was born.

So all of you nice people out there, don't fall for this scam. If someone asks you to cash checks for them, DO NOT DO IT! If you do, you'll end up losing your account with your bank, and the Feds will look into your life; you will be held accountable for the funds.

This is the information I have on the scammer that I encountered, as he presented it to me:

John Holland johnhollandarts@yahoo.co.uk Mr John Holland John Holland Arts & Gifts Unit B, The Apsley Center, Apsley way, London NW2 7LZ U.K

Immediately you are through with the western union transfer, get back to me with following details: Sender's name and address (as used to to fill the western union form ): Total Amount Sent: Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN) I hope i am able to make things clear to you. Let me know if there is anything that is not clear to you. Do reply this email to confirm that you recieve it. Thanks and God bless, waiting to hear from you...... Mr John Holland

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About the Author:
Trina L.C. Sonnenberg
Publisher - The Trii-Zine Ezine - Your Trusted Source for Internet Business and Marketing Information. Serving online professionals since 2001. ISSN# 1555-2276
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Author of: My Journey A Lifetime of Verse http://stores.lulu.com/triizine
Keywords: scams, check scam, internet fraud

PS: I have contacted UPS and Western Union to let them know about this, as well as yahoo