09-27-2008, 07:12 AM
Just letting you folks know about scammers on craigslist, maybe even some other website. I got scammed and I am humbled to say that. But I also want to warn people of how they did their strategy so all of you would know and spare you your hard-earned dollars or your parents. Is there a way for yahoo or aol people to track down scammers using their email addresses? I know some internet providers do using ISPs (I think).
I was selling a set of books for $170 at craigslist. Somebody with an email address of divinestoress11 responded to my ad and sent me his payment using an international Walmart money gram coming from seemingly Africa (with a stamp Republique du Benin) for an exceedingly high amount of $1640. He said he was on vacation and his assistant apparently, overpaid me. In his instructions, he wanted me to send his change/difference of $1470 through Western Union, to which I have not sent ever before. In the meantime, I was naive of this particular scam. I thought there was something fishy about it, though, (the money gram coming from Africa and the change/difference being sent to Atlanta, Georgia) although at the same time, I also didn't want to tag this person a scammer and trusted him for the time being. To be on the safe side, I tried to call Walmart and asked how their money gram works and they said money grams are considered good as cash like the USPS money orders from what I know. I also asked my bank (Chase) and told them of my suspicion, telling them the possibility of a scam. The person from Chase who I spoke with said it would be safe to wait until the money gram clears. Anyway, I deposited the money gram in my bank last Friday (9/19) and waited until it cleared. I do online banking and I can normally check the status of checks deposited online whenever I want to once they are available. The money gram cleared on Wednesday (9/24) and being assured of the person that I spoke with at Chase bank that it is safe to withdraw the money when it has cleared and being a lay person not knowing how the bank system works, I withdrew $1470 after it showed online that it cleared and was available so I can be able to send the money to a certain Michael Sean in Atlanta Georgia through Western Union. I was even in a hurry to send the money to him because he said he needed the money immediately for his son's operation and since the money cleared, I thought, well, maybe it must be legitimate. I felt secured that day until I saw online yesterday (9/26) that the money gram was returned to the bank and has put me in the negative. I couldn't believe that after making sure that it is not a scam by calling involved institutions like Walmart and Chase bank, I was scammed anyway. I don't understand why banks work that way -- clearing the check, or money gram in this case, when it is not completely 'cleared' and making it available for the customers to withdraw and the customers eventually carrying the burden of fees, let alone the amount of money lost, if they happen to bounce! I probably would not mind waiting another two days for them to say it is available when it actually is, just to make sure they protect my account as their client.
Is there a way for anybody to know where this person accesses his email by tracking down his ISP? It seems they are a syndicate that involves people in Africa using a walmart money gram from Africa that actually looks real. Stupid banks clear them anyway and learning after two days that they are not legitimate anyway. How stupid these banks are!!! I hate them! They give you false reassurances. They should be summoned for not upgrading their system! They should be liable for a faulty system with all the scammers everywhere. In our high-tech modern world nowadays, they have not figured out how to protect their own bank clients?? I have taken extra measures to make sure I was not dealing with a scammer but thanks to their efficient system (being sarcastic), I was scammed anyway. Maybe I may need legal consultation for this. These banks cannot let this faulty system to continue. They should be on top of these scammers and this is how they will lose the trust of their clients.
Anyway, is there a way for any smart person out there to track down this scammer? Police are definitely too slow with matters like this. I have already filed the report. And western union would not even release information. I may not get my money back but if I can spare thousands of people from losing thousands of money from this particular person or group, I'll be happy enough to see these bad people rot in jail where they belong. They are pest to the society and we don't need them. I am a hard-worker and this person just got my last few hard-earned money and the fact that I am in a financial problem, this is the least I expect to happen to me. I just recently applied for residency matching and even had to cut back the number of programs I had to apply to because of financial problems, only to find out my money goes to a stranger who wants the easy money. Anybody please help?? If I can track down this person through anybody's help, I would appreciate it a lot!!! Thanks!
I was selling a set of books for $170 at craigslist. Somebody with an email address of divinestoress11 responded to my ad and sent me his payment using an international Walmart money gram coming from seemingly Africa (with a stamp Republique du Benin) for an exceedingly high amount of $1640. He said he was on vacation and his assistant apparently, overpaid me. In his instructions, he wanted me to send his change/difference of $1470 through Western Union, to which I have not sent ever before. In the meantime, I was naive of this particular scam. I thought there was something fishy about it, though, (the money gram coming from Africa and the change/difference being sent to Atlanta, Georgia) although at the same time, I also didn't want to tag this person a scammer and trusted him for the time being. To be on the safe side, I tried to call Walmart and asked how their money gram works and they said money grams are considered good as cash like the USPS money orders from what I know. I also asked my bank (Chase) and told them of my suspicion, telling them the possibility of a scam. The person from Chase who I spoke with said it would be safe to wait until the money gram clears. Anyway, I deposited the money gram in my bank last Friday (9/19) and waited until it cleared. I do online banking and I can normally check the status of checks deposited online whenever I want to once they are available. The money gram cleared on Wednesday (9/24) and being assured of the person that I spoke with at Chase bank that it is safe to withdraw the money when it has cleared and being a lay person not knowing how the bank system works, I withdrew $1470 after it showed online that it cleared and was available so I can be able to send the money to a certain Michael Sean in Atlanta Georgia through Western Union. I was even in a hurry to send the money to him because he said he needed the money immediately for his son's operation and since the money cleared, I thought, well, maybe it must be legitimate. I felt secured that day until I saw online yesterday (9/26) that the money gram was returned to the bank and has put me in the negative. I couldn't believe that after making sure that it is not a scam by calling involved institutions like Walmart and Chase bank, I was scammed anyway. I don't understand why banks work that way -- clearing the check, or money gram in this case, when it is not completely 'cleared' and making it available for the customers to withdraw and the customers eventually carrying the burden of fees, let alone the amount of money lost, if they happen to bounce! I probably would not mind waiting another two days for them to say it is available when it actually is, just to make sure they protect my account as their client.
Is there a way for anybody to know where this person accesses his email by tracking down his ISP? It seems they are a syndicate that involves people in Africa using a walmart money gram from Africa that actually looks real. Stupid banks clear them anyway and learning after two days that they are not legitimate anyway. How stupid these banks are!!! I hate them! They give you false reassurances. They should be summoned for not upgrading their system! They should be liable for a faulty system with all the scammers everywhere. In our high-tech modern world nowadays, they have not figured out how to protect their own bank clients?? I have taken extra measures to make sure I was not dealing with a scammer but thanks to their efficient system (being sarcastic), I was scammed anyway. Maybe I may need legal consultation for this. These banks cannot let this faulty system to continue. They should be on top of these scammers and this is how they will lose the trust of their clients.
Anyway, is there a way for any smart person out there to track down this scammer? Police are definitely too slow with matters like this. I have already filed the report. And western union would not even release information. I may not get my money back but if I can spare thousands of people from losing thousands of money from this particular person or group, I'll be happy enough to see these bad people rot in jail where they belong. They are pest to the society and we don't need them. I am a hard-worker and this person just got my last few hard-earned money and the fact that I am in a financial problem, this is the least I expect to happen to me. I just recently applied for residency matching and even had to cut back the number of programs I had to apply to because of financial problems, only to find out my money goes to a stranger who wants the easy money. Anybody please help?? If I can track down this person through anybody's help, I would appreciate it a lot!!! Thanks!