People that are running classified ads to sell their boats, or whatever are starting to get those scam offers. [color:"red"] Don't answer them and simply ignore them. [/color]
Here is a link to an article that explains it all:
http://www.scamvictimsunited.com/counterfeit_cashier's_check.htm
So beware, once again.
Rick

Rick,

My brother was running a classified ad on this site. A similar incident happened to him about 3 months ago when he was selling his catamaran. A person replied to his ad from South Africa. He sent him an e-mail and wanted the boat at the asking price of $6,000. He said he would send him $7,200 for the boat, and ask him to deposit the extra $1,200 in another account in the US for him. The extra money was supposedly for shipping. This sounds like the exact scam. Anyway, it sounded fishy, and he just told him to forget it. I agree, anything that sounds too good,....... well you know the rest.

Seller beware.

Don

We had a lot reports a while back and then they subsided, and now they are making another surge.
There is nothing we can do about it, but then again it is not a problem unless some unsuspecting ad runner falls for the ploy.
Happy sailing,
Rick

If you get anything like the message reproduced here, [color:"red"] do not reply, just erase it. [/color] This kind of criminal scam is not new, has already been reported to the authorities, but keeps coming once or twice a month.

QUOTE

From: "Mr. Shaun Milanzi"
To: (you)
Subject: Strictly Confidential
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 01:01:56 +0100
OFFICE TEL: 00 27 83 774 1996

11th August, 2003.
DIRECT TEL: 00 871 763 432 220
DIRECT FAX: 00 871 763 432 221


STRICTLY URGENT & CONFIDENTIAL

I am Mr.Shaun Milanzi a native of South Africa. I am a senior employee of South Africa Department of Mineral and Energy Resources. You were introduced to us in confidence
through the South African Chambers of Commerce and Foreign trade division.

I am writing this letter to solicit your co-operation in order to redeem an investment currently held under trust with the Department of Mineral and Energy Resources of South Africa. The said investment now valued at USD$28.5(Twenty Eight Million Five Hundred Thousand United
States Dollars), was originally purchased by one Mr. Dwight Ausserer, and leased to the Transvaal Orange Mining Corporation in 1977.

Since the maturity of this contract in September 1997, several attempts have been made without success to contact Mr. Dwight Ausserer or any of his close relatives, in whose favour the investment cash value can be paid.

My partner, who is the Account Director in the same Department and I, have initiated the process of filing a claim for this money with the hope of having the funds transferred to you.

In order to do this, we will swear an affidavit in the High Court of my country stating that you are a distant cousin and next of kin to Mr. Dwight Ausserer the owner of the money and giving you the legal authority to administer his estate. After which, we will File a claim for this
money from the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources, indicating that you were appointed by Mr. Ausserer to be the beneficiary of these funds.

When the claim is approved you as the beneficiary will be paid the sum of USD$28.5M. The money will be paid directly to any bank of your choice ; you will have the responsibility to ensure that my partner and I receive 75% of the money while you keep the remaining 20% for your
assistance. The remaining 5% will be for incidental expenses.

I want to assure you that my partner and I are in a position to make the payment of this claim possible provided that you can give us very strong guarantee that our share will be secured, and that you will not take advantage of our position.

Be assured that there is absolutely nothing to worry about in the view of this claim. It is perfectly safe with no risks involved, and it is not subject to any inquiry, since my partner and I will be handling the claim directly in South Africa on your behalf.

I do hope my proposal is acceptable to you. Please acknowledge the receipt of this letter, by fax so that I can provide you with more clarification about the claim and how we intend to make this deal beneficial to everyone involved, Please reach me at my direct phone line for confidential Reasons.

Yours Sincerely

Shaun Milanzi.

UNQUOTE

Hey!! I got the same message! What you cuttin' in on my action? Dang I thought I was someone special...

Now if it was $28 dollars he was offering, then he might have something there.

Its amazing that someone would actually believe you would get that much money for nothing.

Cheers

Clayton

Message deleted immediately.

I read the other day that the South African Scam can be very dangerous... apparently one person has been known to have been murdered and others are "missing" as a result of falling for it...

e.g.

http://www.scambusters.org/NigerianFee.html
http://www.scambusters.org

Note that although they mention Nigeria, S.Africa and other African countries, the texts seem to be from someone relatively proficient in finance - enough to be convincent. I believe the brains are elsewhere. And this thing is old. Before internet, very similar scams were sent by mail and then fax, but were less common. With the net, I'm getting a couple a month

Today,I was contacted by a man identifying himself as John Mill, who asked some questions about the Wave I have for sale.
I answered his questions, and he replied by offering me my asking price. But, since he was not in Florida ( or even the USA, I gather!) He had a "client" in Florida who owed him $6500. He would direct the client to send the $6500 "cheque" to me. I was to deposit the check, keeping $3500 for the boat and then WESTERN UNION him the extra $3K!
Sorry: My wife doesn't wear shirts emblazoned with the phrase " I'm with STUPID"!!!!
I just received another inquiry about the boat from a person with a foreign sounding name.
Stay tuned!
Bob Cowgill
Cocoa, Florida
E-mail:rcowgill@cfl.rr.com

Have him mail you the cheque, cash it (don't deposit it) then call him back and tell him to come get it.

Of course there is no cheque to start with, but it sounded good...

Actually I think they do send you a check but depending on where it's from, it could take quite some time for it to bounce. Of course then the bank will come after you for the money they just gave you. Sure, you've got $3500 (and your boat still) but you just wired somebody (overseas) the other $3000 that the bank is holding you accountable for. I wonder how many people DO fall for that?

I've always said that we are really lucky that the crooks in this world aren't any smarter than they are....we could be coming into some trouble!

Checks drawn on US banks may be cancelled up to 5 (FIVE) years after issued.

You could cash or receive the corresponding credit and forget the issue, only to find years after that it was cancelled - and you have to return the money.

Take care,
Luiz

Another downside of this scam is that you become a criminal when you present a counterfeit check to the bank. There have been some people that were arrested for just asking the bank if it was a good check. How do they know you aren't part of the scam? Right, they don't. Even if they hold you accountable for the cash, you have still broken the law by cashing a counterfeit check. Some people have had a similar situation turn into a living nightmare.

Stay away from these offers.

Just got this today...

Dear Owner
I humbly write as directed by my client who is interested in your 2001 Inter 17R,which is at the rate of $10,250 I will like to view its picture and to know your last offer .I shall be paying by forwarding a cheque.Kindly send all your information in details to enable me arrange for the cheque. The shipping will be arrange
within my client and his shipper.I do need your phone #.
Thank you and best regard
jimmy
--
_______________________________________________
Get your free email from http://www.jojomail.com
THAIWARE Free Download - http://www.thaiware.com




Powered by Outblaze


Smells very fishy to me

I'm not replying!

I don't think you become a criminal when you are tricked into depositing a stolen check in your account, but since you entered the chain of payment, you will certainly have to demonstrate the nature of your involvement, which could be a difficult task if you are not properly documented. Can you prove you are inocent showing only emails? (not likely)

Banks are part of the chain of payment and also need to prove that stolen checks were deposited by a customer, etc. The key safety rule here is: "know your counterpart". This means you have to identify him positively and document the transaction. This is advisable for all transactions.

Take care,
Luiz

Luiz,

If only it were that simple. When somebody gives you a counterfeit or stolen certified check for payment, and you accept it, it is yours. When you try to cash it, all of a sudden, you become the bad guy trying to pawn off a bad check. This is a perfect example of an innocent participant taking the heat. That's part of the scam. If you don't think so, check into the website that Rick included in his original post. There are some horror stories that innocent people got themselves into.

I agree with you, know the parties that you're doing business. If not, walk away.

This is the kind of reply I would send, if I dared...

QUOTE

Dear Jimmy,

Thanks for your offer, which is certainly very interesting. Before completing the transaction, we need to settle the following details.

a) A wire transfer directly to my account and originated by the future owner is the only acceptable payment system for this deal.

2) I will need proper identification of the owner to prepare the standard purchase contract we both need for documentation, tax and transport purposes.

3) In case an intermediary is to participate in the deal, I am willing to consider licensed brokers/brokerage companies only. I will also have to check if your choice of broker is acceptable and for this purpose the complete information about the broker - name, ID, registration, license number, etc. - will be necessary.

I trust those simple details will be easy enough to comply with.
Regards,

UNQUOTE

If it is a scheme, there will be no follow up.

Take care,

This is another sample of criminal internet use.
If something like that is received, [color:"red"]do not reply. [/color]

QUOTE

From: "Musa Bakare"
To: YOU
Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 20:20:23 -0700
Subject: hello


FROM: BAR.MUSA BAKARE WILLIAMS COOKEY & CO CHAMBERS. Urgent Assistance. I am Barrister MUSA BAKARE, a solicitor at law. I am the personal attorney to Mr. Douglas Forman a national of your country, who used to work with shell development company in Nigeria. Before his death On the 21st of April 1999 [my client, his wife and their three children were involved in a car accident along sagbama express road in which all occupants of the motor died}. My client {Douglas} deposited as family belongings in a CONSIGNMENT the sum of $6million in a Standard Finance & Securities Company here in Nigeria for himself, with the hope of transferring it to his country as soon as he is on leave. Since his death I have made several enquiries to your embassy to locate any of my clients extended relatives this has also proved unsuccessful. I have contacted you to assist in repatriating this money left behind by my client before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the security company where these Consignment (Money) was Deposited. Particularly, the Standard Finance & Securities Company where the deceased Deposited the Consignment valued it at about $6 million dollars has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin within the next ten official working days. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 3 years now. I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased so that the proceeds of this Consignments (Money) valued at $6 million dollars can be claimed by you and then you and I can share the money in this ratio: 70% to me and 30% to you. Note that all the necessary legal documents that is required to back up the claim are in my possession, and I will make them available to you once you agree to co-operate with me to claim the consignment Finally, this deal does not amount to any breach of law or illegal proceed as the documents will empower you legally as the next of kin to receive the consignment. Further, your honest co-operation is needed to enable us see this dealt through. Send your response to my email: musabaka6@ecplaza.net Best regards, MUSA BAKARE

UNQUOTE

Hi,
I'm a stranger trying to buy parts for my catamaran, It's hard to find this stuff used here in my country, Chile. I've contacted two possible sellers, but it seems that they've got scared after knowing I'm not north american. I think that shipping only after getting the cash (real cash, not a deposit) is safe enough for the seller, isn't it? In one case I included my phone number and offered to call the seller, supposing that this could add a bit of confidece, maybe asking for information is a source of suspicion?
I understand the concerns, and would appreciate any help to be able to access to these opportunities, after all, my act of confidence is much bigger if I'm willing to send money before getting anything.

That hurts

Has anyone ever looked into using paypal as a option for moving money around? i've used it a few times for small items (from auctions etc and had someone actually pay me for some cd's through that as well). IT works fairly good, and the money can be transferred to your bank account or credit card. Might be a good way of avoiding 'bad cheques'

paul

If you ask for a transfer of funds directly into your bank account, it basically becomes a "cash" transaction and as it is "their" bank transfering it's (the banks) money into your bank, then to your account, the actual transactions are the responsibilities of the banks, your account is credited and their account is debited (or they can do it by taking cash to the bank and having the bank do the transaction even if they don't have a bank account). The old way (but still used by many) was that they took money (cash) to the post office and the post office would electronically forward it to your nearest PO where, with the appropriatre idetification, you could pick up the cash. problem solved! Deal as close to "cash" as possible, and there are less potentual problems (unless your worried about counterfiet money?)
Darryl

I've gotten a couple of these "bonus" checks....I contact the bank they are drawn on to confirm they are bogus then forward them to the internet fraud coordinator at the Tampa office of the FBI.

I just got this scam offer on my ad. I told him I only deal in cash. Do you think his agent will show up with the money?

I just got an offer on my add as well. What was the area code the call came from?

I already deleted it, but he claimed to be in Switzerland and would mail me a cashiers check for $3100 more than the price, to be deposited in an account to take care of the shipping. After the funds are all transferred , his "agent" would come and pick up the boat. I'm still waiting for his "agent" to come over with the cash.

Sorry to break in, but I would advise not to sell even if his "agent" shows up with cash. Don't try to outsmart him using whatever you think is a safe system to sell the boat. This person wants to rob you and your greed is his main weapon, so don't WANT to sell to him. Report to the authorities (there is indication of how somewhere in this thread) and refrain from doing ANY business with him. Avoid ANY contact.
Take care,
Luiz Schechter

Luis is absolutely correct -- these are criminals. I have heard reports where they have threatened violence. Just stay clear of them.
Rick

When I was selling my boat I was getting almost 5 scammers emailing me a day. It is almost enough to make me want to stop trying to sell on the web. Then when I wanted to purchase a Columbia 28 in North Carolina, I sent an email to the guy saying I would send him a cashiers check for the amount of the boat plus 2 months slip fee, because I wouldn't be able to make up there for a few months. he backed out and my guess is he thought I was trying to scam him. This is really ashame and all of us suffer.

Try again with a wire transfer. Avoid checks.

Have you ever read the actual text of a check? I don't remember the exactg words, but it means more or less the following:

To: Bank
Please debit my account with yourselves the amount of yyyy dollars and pay to Mr. xxx or the person he designates.

Essentially, the problem is that the check is only an instruction for the bank to pay someone - but it is NOT the actual payment.

A cashiers check is a check issued by the bank instructing itself to pay someone an amount. It is safer, but again, it is an instruction to pay - not the payment.

A wire transfer is the payment in itself and almost as good as cash. Note: almost.

Luiz,
What did you mean by a wire transfer is as good as cash "ALMOST"? In what cases would it not be as good as cash?

We have an unusual situation which just arose today.

We have an old Hobie Wave, with no rudders, for sale for $1,200. A guy in Belgium wants to buy it and says he will have a shipping company pick it up. He paid for it with a direct wire transfer into our bank account. The catch is that instead of sending $1,200, he sent $12,000.

We e-mailed him and told him of this apparent "error." He expressed surprise and gratitude that we are so "honest," but said this error was going to be a major hardship on him and his associate, and can we, as soon as possible, wire (bank transfer) back the $10,800 that was in excess of the purchase amount.

If this is a scam, it is a variation on the usual theme that involves a cashier's check, since this one involves an electronic transfer. And in the check cases they tell you up front that they are sending a check for more than the amount; whereas, in this case he is just saying it was an honest error.

I can't quite figure out how it works to the benefit of the scammer, since the whole $12,000 is in our account.

From what I have read, it could be part of a money-laundering operation where they are not really trying to get any money from us but just using a boat purchase as an excuse to move money around.

But if their $12,000 really is in our account, it puts us in an awkward position. We don't want to send the guy $10,800 unless we are absolutely sure we have the money -- like go to the bank and get the money in our hands and then send the $10,800 (or the whole $12,000, as far as I am concerned), because I can't believe the guy really wants this boat.

But if it turns out that the $12,000 he sent came out of someone else's account because of identity theft, would we be liable sometime in the future to reimburse the $12,000 to the true owner of the money?

On the other hand, if he really is the true owner of the money, we need to give it back to him.

And on the other other hand, if he is a crook using us to launder his money, if we give it back to him, we would be, in effect, aiding and abetting a criminal.

Has anybody else encountered this particular situation?

Are you serious!? Wow! I deal with international wire transfers pretty often but I have no idea how a fraudulent transfer could have taken place... but I promise that somehow the $12,000 that you received was not his or came from a make believe bank. He's going to potentially walk away with $10,800 clear for nothing if you send him the money. Wire transfer is handled cash - not credit... So if this guy really has $12,000+ in his bank account, He's not going to go through the hassle of buying a used Hobie Wave overseas and shipping it when a new one can be had relatively inexpensively near by. I would take the issue to the bank - definitely a scam...the $12k won't be good for long.

Hi Jake,
As soon I heard the overage, I contacted the Sheriff, FBI and the Bank Security Department. The money is definitely there and in my account.
I put a freeze on my account so no transactions can take place -- Mary thought he might have enough info of mine that he could arrange transfers from my account, although I believe that banks don't just take phone calls and wire money that haphazardly.
The bank does not think it is a scam at this time.

Think I will just go ahead and buy a new boat with it.

Rick

We just found out how this scam worked. Very clever.

The prospective buyer of the boat, supposedly in Belgium, got our account number from us so he could wire money directly into our account.

Then someone locally went to our bank with a phoney check supposedly from some insurance company settling a non-existent claim and deposited the phoney check for $12,000 into our account.

Then he e-mails telling us the wire transfer money (supposedly $1,200) will be in our account on this date.

Sure enough, the money is in our account, but $12,000 instead of $1,200.

We e-mail the "buyer" and tell him about the mistake, and he apologizes and asks us to send back the $10,800 overage.

When we talked to our bank about it, since we had told them it was a wire transfer, they said, "Yes, it's there and good as cash."

But now the bank has checked and found out there was NO wire transfer to our bank -- that it was a fraudulent check that was deposited.

I guess the moral to this is to never give your account number to anybody. Interesting, because occasionally we have given our deposit slips to people just because it has our phone number and address, and we figured what's the difference if they know our account number -- all they can do with it is put money into our account.

Now we know that somebody putting money into your account is not necessarily a good thing.

What's creepy about it is that this was done by somebody in the Keys who walked into our local bank. I hope they catch the perpetrators.

Let me make some comments on Mary's Post:
There is nothing wrong with giving someone your deposit info for a bank. Normally there is no problem.

These folks relied on timing. It was funny that he said next week he would arrange for the wire transfer. (By the way, I was very suspect the entire time). He finally let me know the wire was there on Wednesday.
Well, meanwhile, his conspirator in the US deposits a check for the mistaken amount with an extra "0" on the deposit the day before. Then he informs you the money is there on the next day.
You call your bank and sure enough the money is there, but way too much.
You pay him back, but the check is no good. ZAAAAAAMMMMM!

New Spin: Most folks.., and even the bank thought is was a wire deposit until they checked farther and found there was a deposit by check.

Now, Mary said it must be someone local, but think about it. These crooks can send out hundreds of emails daily and have a USA local run around depositing local checks to banks. They might have an abeter in areas, or districts.., but Jeez, even if they flew from Seattle to Miami, they would have made $10,000.
Not a bad price for a scam..., dependant on how many people you have to split it with.

This is a new ploy, and depends on timing and your ignorance. You call your bank and sure enough the money is there, even our bank thought it was a wire. After the security checked carefully they found there was no wire.
Had we not been on our toes, this would have cost us big time.

As the old saying goes, If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't"

In this case, however, we were selling a small cost item. This was just a way to use that as a way to swap money in their favor.

We are really glad we were able to offer our bodies to show you still another scam. By the way, I checked out a number of scam warning sites.., and this is not on them.
Hope we don't name this after me.


Watch Out!
Rick

Geeeze...you guys did good! I've always maintained that we're lucky that 95% of criminals aren't very smart...but that was definitely in that remaining 5%.

Mary, Rick,

First of all, the check could have been deposited to your account in any of your bank's branches. In fact, I believe that a big branch is more likely to be used then a smaller one.

There is a standard settlement procedure used by financil institutions to handle mistaken wire transfers and similar situations.

The short version: if you receive money that is not yours, the ONLY thing you do is authorize your bank to return the funds to the sender under the reference "unable to apply the funds". Nothing more.

Details:
Since the money was credited to your account by your bank, they are THE ONLY ONES who can ask for authorization to reverse the credit and return the funds to the sender. Your bank will do this (and nothing more) only after receiveing a similar request from the sender's bank, which, in turn, receives a similar request from the sender.

Any related message exchange MUST FOLLOW EXACTLY THE SAME PATH of the payment itself and MUST travel through autentified message exchange systems, preferably via the payment system itself.

Examples:
1) Your bank shall not accept any instruction from the sender, only from the sending bank.

2) No faxes, emails, phone calls or the like. All requests for devolution of funds, inquiries and informations are sent through SWIFT or other safe comunication system.

A new scam:
The local branch of Lloyds cautioned customers against another scam using a real deposit and a real check. It could happen anywhere:

Someone shows up and informs you that he deposited a small amount to your account by mistake. He produces the deposit ticket and aks if you would kindly write him a check to return the funds. You verify your statement. The money is there and was deposited in cash, so you give him the check. Then he erases the amount, replaces by a larger figure and collects.

What went wrong?
He accepted instructions to act from someone other then his bank and returned the funds directly, bypassing the bank, when the proper procedure would have been to follow the original comunication and payment path, as described here.

Whoever makes a mistaken deposit to your account must contact the bank (not you) and the bank will contact you. If you feel compelled to do something fast (honest people usually do), just inform your bank that you found an unknown entry in your statement of account and request and authorize the bank to "take the necessary steps to reverse the entry". Be carefull not to mention names or phone calls. The bank will verify the documentation of whoever claims to own the funds and the bank will return the money safely. You only talk to your bank.

Take care,
Luiz

We were almost victims of a brand new scam that I have not heard about
before. It is a unique twist on an old theme.


Here is what happened:


We had a small sailboat advertised for sale on our web site and in a
magazine. We received an e-mail ostensibly from somebody in Belgium who
wanted to buy it. The price was $1,200. (Sounds familiar so far, right?
Well, read on.)


So he tells us that he is going to wire transfer the $1,200 directly to our
bank account and have his shipping agent pick up the boat. (The difference
here is that in the older scams they were going to send a cashier's check
for more than the amount, and you send the balance to somebody else. BUT in
this case it was supposedly a wire transfer, that is supposed to be as good
as cash once it gets into your bank account. AND, it was supposed to be for
the exact amount of the purchase.)


He tells us that he will get the money wired sometime next week and will
let us know when the money is in our account.


On September 15 he e-mails us and tells us that the money is in our account.


We check our account, and sure enough, the money is there. The problem is
that he sent $12,000 instead of $1,200. So we e-mail him and tell him about
this overage. He e-mails back thanking us profusely for our honesty in
bringing this to his attention. But it is going to cause him and his
associate financial hardship, so can we please wire back the overage of
$10,800 as soon as possible.


Meanwhile, we are obviously extremely suspicious about the whole thing, so
we contact various agencies, and also
talk at length with the security person at our bank. She assures us that
the $12,000 is indeed in our account, and that it is as good as cash.
Because we told her that it was a wire transfer, she is assuming, too, that
it was a wire transfer.


Well, when she investigates further, she finds that it was actually a check
that was deposited into our account on September 14, the day before the
"buyer" e-mailed to tell us the money was there. So, obviously, either the
buyer himself or a cohort went into the bank personally to deposit the
check. Mail would not have worked, because the timing was very critical. So
somebody physically went into our bank to make the deposit.


The check was supposedly from Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and was
supposedly being deposited into our account to pay a claim. There was no
claim, and the check itself is fraudulent. We don't even know if there is
such an insurance company.


Two things are very clever about this scam:
One is that the "buyer" convinced us that he was sending a wire transfer.
And then he called us and told us it was there. And so we call the bank and
tell them there was a wire transfer to our account and ask if it is there.
The bank confirms that it is, but it is for this much higher amount than we
expected. Because of the fact that we tell the bank it was a wire transfer,
they go on that assumption. We were just fortunate that the security person
at our bank followed up on this and found out that it was not a wire
transfer at all, it was a check.


The other clever thing is that instead of telling us up front that he is
sending more money and wants us to send part of somewhere else, he
pretended that it was an honest error and whoever sent the bank transfer
inadvertently added a zero to the amount. So you as the seller think, "Oh,
no, I have this guy's money, and we have to give it back to him."


This, as I said, is a completely new twist to an old scam, and we have
never heard of this one before.


We think that probably the reason for the "buyer" telling us that
the money will be wired in about a week, and that he will tell us when it
is there, is so that his cohorts can travel around the country and get to
the specific banks where they need to personally deliver the bogus checks,
so the "buyer" can contact you the very next day to let you know it is there.


Our bank has the bad check. And I would think that they must have
surveillance camera video that might be able to spot the person who
presented that check to the bank. And maybe one of the tellers would
remember it, since it was a large amount of money and the deposit had to
have been made on Monday or Tuesday of this week.


And, by the way, since our e-mail telling
the buyer about his error in sending us too much money, and his answer back
asking us to send him the overage and that he will let us know where to send the money. We have not e-mailed him again as the ball is in his court.

Rick

If he found the ad on this site, possibly would he monitor this forum? If so he may not contact you again...

Probably just as well. Good information on those scams Rick, glad you were on top of it!

Clayton

I have been thinking the same thing, Clayton, but actually these scammers are probably too busy searching classifieds for potential "marks" and following through on them to have time to monitor forums. They are probably doing this with hundreds of people all over the country.

They usually seem to target classifieds for large items like cars, boats, antique furniture, pianos, etc. -- things that need to be shipped as opposed to mailed.

All the examples I have seen of scam e-mails, including the ones that were sent to us, use very poor English and have very bad spelling. Most people would think that this proves these people are from other countries. But how can you tell whether an e-mail is actually coming from Africa or Belgium or a town in Iowa? They usually use a free e-mail address, like through Yahoo or AOL or one of many other organizations. Intelligent scammers can certainly fake bad grammar and spelling.

The unfortunate thing is that possibly there are honest people from other countries who really do want to buy something, and they get rejected as being possible scammers.

On the other hand, it would never occur to me to buy something from Europe through a classified ad, and have it shipped over here. So why would somebody do it the other way? Do they really save that much money doing that? They have more catamarans in Europe now than we have in the U.S. They have lots of cars over there and antiques and musical instruments. Just doesn't make sense for somebody from Europe to buy something from the U.S. and have it shipped over there, sight unseen.

P.S. Rick thinks maybe some of these scammers are doing this to raise money for terrorist organizations, like al quaeda.

So far I am thinking they are just con artists who have been around forever, and they are very inventive and creative, and they seem to be keeping up with technology -- or maybe a step ahead of the rest of us.

But there is that other possibility that is more sinister than plain old greed.

Rick, Mary

I am sorry for not being able to reply soon enough to be of direct help. It is a relief that you escaped from this one.

As a rule, whenever excess funds are found in an account the standard procedure is to authorize the bank to reverse the transaction. Any further action may be dangerous - as proved by the attempted scam.

VERY IMPORTANT: you only authorize the bank to do anything to your account in connection to this check/credit/fraud, AFTER you receive a written request to do so. You must consult with your lawyer before signing anything they put in front of you.

You should not be requested by the bank to do nothing other then sending an authorization to reverse the transaction unknown to you. The authorities may ask for other things - mostly information that could help find the perpetrators - but this is totally different.

Why do I say this?
Because your bank was used for the fraud and they gave you incorrect information that would have helped the perpetrators if you weren't cautious. There is a (remote) possibility that a bank employee is involved, so they should be afraid of the possible developments. Its lawyers could try to reduce their (possible) liability by means of requesting you to sign some kind of disclaimer, so you must consult with your lawyer before signing whatever the bank presents to you.

Your lawyer should write (or at least check) any comunication or document you send to the bank. If the bank works well, consider that they should have recorded all your conversations with them from the moment the fraud was discovered.

The bank is not your "enemy", but until all the situation is cleared with the authorities, they will protect themselves, so you do the same.

For Mary: the reason why I wrote that a wire transfer is ALMOST as good as cash is that a wire transfer may be reversed in certain circumstances. It is not simple and not as easy to be used for frauds as checks, but it can happen, especially intraday. On the other hand, cash may be counterfeited, so there is no 100% safe system.

Take care,
Luiz

Luiz,
Thank you for your advice.

During the time when both we and the bank thought it had been a wire transfer of funds, we asked the bank if they could just send it back or refuse it whatever. They said they could not do that. And that is kind of ridiculous, because how can you be forced to accept money you do not want? What you said makes a lot more sense. We will remember that, if something similar ever happens in the future.

Mary,

The person in the bank who said that they could not return the funds is either very new to the field, lying or referring to something else.

The "reversibility" is exactly what the scammers are using for this kind of scams. A check is deposited, credited and later reversed.

What the bank can not do is make the book entry/operation disappear. They must reverse it with a new book entry and, if it is the case, another operation such as a return wire transfer, for example.

Take care,
Luiz

PS: In case anyone is wondering why I feel confident to write about this issue, it's because I worked as head of treasury and financial markets for a huge Dutch banks in a country where frauds and scams are a major concern.

I just got my first reply on my classified ad. Guess the scamers are still going strong. Sounds like they are real hot to buy my boat, and want all the info that's already in the ad. Thanks for having a scam section on this board. Maybe it's better to go through a broker these days?
FYI:


Good Day
i am interested in buying your 2005 Nacra500 )and i want to tell me
the condition of it also I will like to know if you would accept a certified cashier check for the payment,i also need to know the price, and your full name and address including your phone number is also needed in which payment will be sent to .i have a shipping company who takes cares of my shippment .So don't bother about the shippment.I will also like to know if is still in good condition .urgent response is needed for procedure of payment .
regard

Yep, that's definitely a scam.

Just got three myself for the Taipan, but I have my Spam Killer trained to weed them out.
Rick

So far I've had about 10 scam replies in the last 2 weeks for my ad. They're pretty easy to spot -- if you're looking for them.

Hell I got one and my boat is not even for sale, obviously a scam. Wonder how they even knew I had a boat.

It's amazing that these scammers are even offering $7500, payment by cashier's checks and using freight shipment companies for shipment to purchase our race videos (that sell for $39.95.) This suggests that they're either not reading the ads, or that they don't read english well enough to understand them.

Bad grammar and spelling and messages that don't seem to specifically match what you're you're selling are red flags, but even innocent sounding messages may be scams. Use your instincts, and if you have ANY doubt whatsoever, do not reply to the message, and NEVER give out your bank information.

Robert & Jeanine Feldman

Just attach a nasty vb script to the reply email. Feel like you're doing something for the greater good.

I'm pasting my latest one here,
the nerve of them.
Hello, I guess you think I was born yesterday.

[censored] OFF
----- Original Message -----
From: Don Wood
To: Todd Bouton
Sent: Friday, September 16, 2005 1:14 PM
Subject: Get Back Asap


Hello,
Thanks for the mail.I will pay that sum of money into your account because i belive that there are several SCAMS through checks and other method of payment.I will want to send the funds directly to your account.SO i will want you to get back to me with your bank account information as follows

Your full Name
Your full address
City,State,Zip code
Country
Account Name
Account Number
Bank Routine Code
Bank Name
Bank Address
City,State,ZIpcode
Country

When all these are provided for me,i will send the money into your account directly.
I will be expecting your prompt response
Regards

Todd Bouton wrote:
Well, my price is 3,750. For going to the UK.
----- Original Message -----
From: Don Wood
To: Todd Bouton
Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 11:01 AM
Subject: Re: Nacra 6.0 NA


Hello,
Thanks very much.I am an american but in The United Kingdom on a business trip,and i will need the Nacra 6.0 NA over here in the UK.SO i will want you to get back to me with the bottom price of the Nacra 6.0 NA,so that we can arrange for the payment and shipping

Regards

Todd Bouton wrote:
Where do you live? For what you're getting, the asking price is already pretty low. I might some down a little more.

It's in great condition, especially for a 10 year old boat.

Everything is sound including the standing rigging, etc.
----- Original Message -----
From: Don Wood
To: ToddSails@houston.rr.com
Sent: Monday, September 12, 2005 11:15 AM
Subject: Nacra 6.0 NA


Greetings,
I'm interested in buying the Nacra 6.0 NA , which i saw iny our
advert and iw ill want you to get back to me with the bottom price
and its pressent condition for my appraisal.Your prompt response will
be highly granted
Regards

I was listening to the "Clark Howard" show yesterday and he warned about the scams. Part of his warning was "don't engage in any e-mail discussions with them because some have gotten so sophisticated that they can embed worms in your computer to capture your keystrokes and get a lot of your personal information". I don't know if he is correct but I wouldn't chance it.

Howard

But sureely eveyone has got proper virus protection and firewalls these days !!!!

And they are so sophisticated that they cannot write an e-mail that passes muster !!

If you want to get back at them, there ARE ways.

Just depends on how much effort you want to put into it :P

So... you'll just leave us hanging?

CD

Yes,

because its not wise to fess up to technically illegal activities on a public message board :P

From: "Nadia Arafat"
To:
Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2005 06:29:10 -0800
Subject:Good day


From Nadia Arafat
202, Kamel El Shennawi
street, Garden City, Cairo, Egypt.

Attention dear,

In The Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful Aselamu Aleikum.

Forgive my indignation to contact you through this medium without prior notice. I am Mrs Nadia Arafat, the wife of late Fathi Arafat brother to Yasser Arafat) who just died on Wednesday 1st December, 2004. In military hosptal cairo egypt.

It did not take more than 48hours after his demise when I was contacted by his security firm in Asia as his next of kin. Before his death, he entrusted many documents to me and told me to let things be since he knew that he would die considering his cancer ailment. One of those documents bore certificate of deposit from the said security firm that
contacted me in London.

Hence I`m requested to correspond with them in the shortest possible time to avoid the demurrages that will accrue following the death of my husband as nobody except me can attend to such transaction. Thus I`m contacting you so that you can help me to retrieve this clasified deposit from the security firm and for safe keeping pending when it will be
convienient for me to travel out of Egypt. All eyes are on me now and as such I will not like to attract any attention now either by monetary transactions or by international travel.

As a result, I request you to reply to me as soon as ossible so that we shall know the way forward and how to streamline issues and procedures towards the successful retrieval of this clasified deposit which bear the sum of US$ 25.5 Million, I`m quite convinced that this classified deposit is enough for any investment of ones choice in a life`s
time.

Endeavour to keep this mail very secret even if you are not keen to cooperate with me as I beseeched you.

Please send your reply to my private e-mail address
nadia_ar2005@voila.fr

Regards

Mrs Nadia

------------------
I guess whoever sent this actually thinks someone will be stupid enough to reply. Unbelievable.

Luiz

Which part is unbelievable? That they think that people will respond or that people respond? (and they do).

We have some cats for sale on the www.catamaran.ie site. One of the owners called me today and told me that he might sell his 3000 euro Dart 18 to a Scottish guy who was owed 4500 eoro by an English client of his etc........
There are still people who have not heard the word

I am just shocked that those things happen.

Here is a funny one from yesterday.
I have my 38' Diesel RV for sale and the guy wanted to know if it could be shipped UPS. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Apparently his template didn't relate to size.
Rick

Rick:

I just got this. I informed Damon and Hotmail. Wish we could put these ASSHOLES in jail!!

Doug


Hello,
Thanks for getting to me fast. mere reading your mail i see how honest you are.

haven read your mail i will contact my colleague who is indebted to me.so he will be sending you the us cheque. mind you he will be sending a check of the total amount of money he owes me which is $990 when you get the check,go and deposit it in your account and when it has been transfered to your account you deduct your $74 and forward the remaining to my shipping company in Dublin Ireland through western union money transfer.

The shipping company will be coming for the pickup of the item,that is three days after you have sent them funds.the funds will be meant for the shipping and clearing arrangement of the item. i hope i can count on you for my portion after you have deducted your $75

I WILL NEED YOUR NAME,ADDRESS AND YOUR PHONE NUMBER FOR THE ADDRESSION OF THE CHECK.

REPLY

Thanks
Kelv.


>From: "Doug Snell"
>To:
>Subject: Re: The Beachcats Classifieds
>Date: Sat, 26 Nov 2005 20:25:17 -0600
>
> Kevin:
>
> I can try to take a photo this week, it is in storage unit. It is like >new condition, has a few scratches. I only used it 3 or 4 times, I just liked boom better. It is missing front cap but you had to take it off and on anyway to get it on. Just works better without it. I want $75 plus
>shipping ( whatever UPS charges to you zip) a new one is a lot more that >that.
>
> Doug Snell
> 281-326-2702
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From:
> To:
> Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2005 7:27 PM
> Subject: The Beachcats Classifieds
>
>
> > Hello Doug Snell,
> >
> > User mark_0007 from The Beachcats sends you these comments/questions
>about your ad 'Hobie 17 Boomlet':
> >
> >
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > This is Mr Kelvin Moore,the reason why i mailed you
> >
> > was that i saw you advert placed on net that you want
> >
> > to sell the above mention proparty
> >
> >
> >
> > please if is still available kindly tell me?
> >
> >
> >
> > 1.the current condition[tell if negotiable]
> >
> > 2.your asking price
> >
> > 3.the item picture
> >
> > 4.phone number
> >
> >
> >
> > Best regards
> >
> > kelv.
> >
> > To answer this message send email: kelvmoore@hotmail.com
> >
> > Thank you!
> > The Beachcats Classifieds
> >
> >
>
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>

_________________________________________________________________
Don't just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search!
http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/

I got the same email from Kelvin this evening concerning my P18 for sale at thebeachcats.com. I figured that it was a scam and haven't replied. I also forwarded the message to Dammon.
Jack

Jack:

If you still have it, send it to Hotmail like I did. Maybe we can put this guy in jail for mail fraud.
Doug

Hotmail isn't going to do anything about it. These emails are coming from overseas and even the government has a tough go at it. There is a government organization setup to handle these although I can't recall the address....and it's pretty apparent that they aren't being terribly effective.

It is not that they are inefficient, they just have bigger scams in their hands. Take a look at this one (aimed at investment managers).

Luiz

QUOTE
From: "DAVIS MBEKI"
Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2005 16:04:48 +0100
Subject: PARTNERSHIP INVESTMENT PROPOSAL

Dearest, My name is DAVIS MBEKI, the son of Mr LAURENT MBEKI, the former Minister in Cote d’Ivoire, I have money which I inherit from my father that I want you to help me invest in your Country into a good business. I want you to know that the transfer charges to get this money ransferred to the account you are going to provide for me will be taken care by me The total amount of this money is ($5.5 Million American dollars) which my father acquired when he was in service as the Minister. My father is now 72 years old and he is very sick. It was now that he is old and sick that he decided to allow me to inherit his wealth as his
only child and he is the one that proposed this idea to me to invest the money in Overseas through a reputable and honest person who has the investment experience to manage this fund on my behalf in his / her company/ organization until I finish my university education as a medical student for the next five years, that is why I will confide the fund with you for the period of five years while you will be given me 10% of the interest per year and you will be depositing it into my personal account every year and after the period of five years then I will take over my fund which is the total amount of ($5.5 Million dollars ) and will be Deposit to my personal account after the period of five years. Please if you are capable and honest I can relied on you as long as our mutual agreement is concern. Below are the requirements needed from you for our mutual agreement regarding the procedures of this proposal: ( 1) THE ACCOUNT INFORMATION WHERE THIS MONEY WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO . ( 2 ) PHOTOCOPY OF YOUR INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT, ( 3) A COPY OF YOUR DRIVING LICENCE. ( 4) YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBER FOR COMMUNICATION. These information are to be used for our mutual agreement which both us will signed before we proceed this transaction. Meanwhile I will send you the photocopy of my international passport as well my student Identity card for a prove to you upon your acceptance by providing the above mentioned requirements. All these information are highly needed for this Transaction. Best Regards DAVIS MBEKI
UNQUOTE

It's not strictly a classifieds scam, but it's a scam all the same. This warning is currently circulating in Europe:

[color:"red"] VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam [/color]

Quote: This information is worth reading. By understanding how the scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself.

One of our employees was called on Wednesday from "VISA", and I was called on Thursday from "MasterCard". Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it.

The Person calling says, "This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card that was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for £3249.99 from a Marketing company based in (name of any town or city)?"

When you say "No" the caller continues with, "Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been
watching and the charges range from £3150 to £3249, just under the £3250 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?"

You say "yes". The caller continues - "I will be starting a Fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 0800
number listed on the back of your card and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. "Do you need me to read it again?"

Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works. The caller then says, "I need to verify you are in possession of your card". He'll ask you to "turn your card over and look for some numbers". There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security Numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him.

After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "That is correct,
I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?" After you say No, the caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back; if you do", and hangs up. You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the Card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of £3249.99 was charged to our card.

Long story made short - we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them.

Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master card directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost to late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.

What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a "Jason Richardson of MasterCard" with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily!

They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is
happening. Please pass this on to all your family and friends. By
informing each other, we protect each other.

John,

You are not alone and it is not only in the U.K. Bonnie and I had a friend here in the states approached by the same identical routine. They seem to be getting smarter. I wonder where they are getting the card number information (and why we haven't seen this in the news yet)?

I believe they get the information in two ways.

1: Stolen. This can be after break-ins at diverse netshops, pishing (you are redirected to a fake website who looks just like e.g. your bank), or "social engineering" as described by John.

2: Bought from dishonest operators of stores, netshops etc.


I know there is a whole industry trading and selling credit card information. Personally, I never let the card out of sight when using it in stores/restaurants etc. And I am careful about where I use it online.

This problem is so common that some card issuers block the credit card for any transaction without the actual card. For each online transaction you have to request them to temporarily allow online transactions.
It is not efficient, but is certainly safer.

At our store here on this site, we had a lot of bogus charges that were fraudulant a year or so back because back then our card authorizing company did not require the security number.
Now they do and the fraudulant purchases have just about ceased.
Yet, with this new scam it seems the bad guys are trying to find a way around that.

Thanks for the report.
Rick

This scam has been going on for years in the auto industry as well, and every year they keep polishing this dog and pony show. Jake is correct, they will send a check, but in the all too long term it will bounce. Because hi tech printers forge money orders and cashiers checks these days with relative ease, I no longer accept payment through these means for vehicles I sell online anymore, it is too risky. We use bank wire transfer, or cash upon delivery. We have had no problems with that, and the customers understand that fraud is rampant and are happy to comply. I usually credit them 25.00 to cover their bank wire cost on their end as well. Hope this helps someone stay safe, it's a tough world these days.

Tom
Jacksonville, FL
Hobie 16

We've seen many different type of scams but this one hits a new low.

The Nigerian Puppy Scam
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-puppyscam29may29,0,6595076.story?coll=la-home-center

Link to article

Of all the things our government is capable of...why can't they shut down the Nigerian internet scams?

One other thing to be aware of when receiving money via wire transfers: there's not going to be a way for someone on the far end of the deal to know that the money was received by your bank and is in your account. They request the money be transferred, but once that happens, the rest is a black box--they don't have any way to know when the funds will show up in your account. So, if they pretend they do know, be on your guard. (We've received wire payments from clients of my computer consulting business overseas and they have no notion of when the funds show up--and it isn't instantaneous.)

One more thing (and this is astounding that Rick and Mary's bank didn't spot this immediately): a wire transfer will almost always also show a deduction in your account for receiving the transfer ($15 to $30--as per the posting above by stormcloud). There's almost always a charge on both ends and the person sending the money won't know what your bank's charge is so an even amount--like $12,000 is also a danger sign. ($11,975 would be a lot more belivable--but only if they account for their own bank's origination charge.)

BTW, for overseas payments (including large amounts), PayPal works very nicely. We use it to pay consultants in Canada and Australia that do work for us. They have excellent protections for both parties in place.

Ciao!

John

Selling a strip built sea kayak and a road bike on craigslist, I've recieved about 4 of these

ex. an actual email I recieved:

"Hello, thank you for your respnse, am satisfied with the price and condition of the item and i want you to know that am out of town for an official purpose and i want you to go and withrew t he item from the list and keep it for me, i will ask my client to send you a cashier or certified check,overpayment of $2000which when you recieve it, you will take it to the cash point and have it cashed, then you will deduct your item fund and help send the rest to my mover via western union or moneygram, he is also helping picking up some other item in your area and i want you to know that is after the check cleared that my mover will come for the pick up and am very sure that you will recieve the payment before this week runs out and i want you to know that am a person that you can trust, so i need your full name,valid address and your number so that the payment can be made quickly,pls reply asap."


craigslist also has a page about these scams:


http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html

LOOK FAMILIAR...This guy is too stupid to deal with...

thom

mikecolins_auto@yahoo.com




mike colins <mikecolins_auto@yahoo.com> wrote:
Thank you for your response,after discussing
with my client who really commended your boat
instructed to move on with the deal at the price of
($4,750),he said he will be going on a vacation soon
and will rest virtually all the transaction on my
shoulder and assign a shipper like wise that i will
work with and stressed that he will be issuing out a
cashier check of ($10,750) which was a refund payment
of a cancelled order earlier made by him but
will be filed in your name,you are only required to
deduct the cost of your boat($4,750) and
send the differece ($6,000) when payment gets to you to a
shipping agent whoose information will be given to
you as at when due, he will be needing the fund to
offset shipping charges, taxes and other c osmetic
repairs/touches,the agent will be responsible for
signing andtransferin! g of title paper and also pickup.
So i require of you to send me your
NAME,ADDRESS
AND
PHONE NUMBER for payment to be delivered to you via
fedex courier services All other information needed
in completion of this transaction will be given to
you in due time.
thanks


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news, photos & more.

Tell the "agent" to cash the check and bring you the money. Not that they would do that... Saw a forum where a gentleman really worked over the scam artist (in the literal sense) kind of like conning the con man. Not recommended for the average person as it could get dicey.

Clayton

I run online classifieds in another venue. One of my sellers was scammed. Since then I have offered this info:

If you have been a VICTIM of the Nigeria Counterfeit Check Scam (or any scam like this), contact the US Secret Service, the lead agency fighting this fraud. Call 202-406-5572, or write to: US Secret Service, Financial Crimes Division, 950 H Street, Washington, DC 20001. Send complaints to the Secret Service at http://www.secretservice.gov/contact_fcd.shtml.

It amazes me how these people infiltrate the market.

DJ

Chris Hansen from NBC did a huge expose of these Nigerian scumbags...and yes, some people do fall for these scams the hosebags perpetrate. They order goods with stolen credit cards in Nigerian cyber cafe's and then have poor souls give up hard cash for shipping costs with all kinds of promises including marriage proposals using pictures of hot babes. Hard to catch the scumbags in Nigeria and surrounding countries. If they would just apply themselves to finding real job they wouldn't have to steal from us. Then it would be a perfect world, woundn't it?

Better to be proactive than reactive. Not to be too comercial...but If any one is interested, I market a service that monitors your credit report 24/7 with identity restoration by Kroll the world's leading authority on forensic investigation. It's called Identity Theft Shield. It's $12.95 a month as a stand alone, or $9.95 for husband and wife with our legal plan. Go to www.greatjoboption.com to learn more and see a complete explanation. You can also order the service from my site at www.jcozzi.com. Thanks! Hope this helps. It truly is a great service in today's complex society.

Sorry it's www.jcozzi.com

Jim, you're starting to sound like a spammer... trying to get free ads. Buy ad space if you are for real.

C

I just found two sites that document going after scammers. There's some pretty funny stuff about scambaiting.

http://www.419eater.com/
http://www.quatloos.com/

Rick:

This page popped up last time I got on

http://server2.mediajmp.com/surveys/terms.html

Doug

If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

When the claim is approved you as the beneficiary will be paid the sum of USD$28.5M. The money will be paid directly to any bank of your choice ; you will have the responsibility to ensure that my partner and I receive 75% of the money while you keep the remaining 20% for your
assistance. The remaining 5% will be for incidental expenses.

How about you cash the check and don't wire the guy anything, nor ship the boat? You get $6500 to play with for a couple of months (up to three years according to the article Rick posted,) and he's out a piece of paper.

Money making opportunity! Offer bogus things for sale on the internet, but only "sell" to scammers. Cash their checks, keep and invest their money and give the money back when the bank wants it. You get to keep any money you made in the investment!

At the very least, it's a 0% interest loan, with an indefinite payback date.

Hmmm... What should I "sell"?

Gotta think that there's some law somewhere that would bite you on the butt.