Jan 31, 2013
Individual is trying cash fake cashier checks by fedexing fake fraudulent checks to seller. I placed an ad on-line (craigslist ad) in Atlanta, GA 24 Jan 13. He responded via text from (386) 385-8306 (FL #), stating he was David Robson "ready to make an instant purchase". He states mode of purchase will be in the form of a cashiers check and will arrange for local pick up. He stated he is willing to give extra $100 as soon as check is received due to hold the item for sale due to its inconvenient due to his work schedule and requests mailing address and name to send it to. Once the information (name & address) was received he sent out the check and was with an amount larger than item for sale (~$2000) and wanted me to deposit or cash the check, take out the amount for the item I was selling and MoneyGram the rest, to an address provided. In this case send payment to "Karen McMahon 525 1/2 Main St, Palm Coast, FL 32137". (address does not exist) On 29 Jan, the day I received his cashiers check from "Bank of America" payable to me, I went to deposit or cash it and was immediately identified as fraudulent and could not be verified via Bank of America as ever being issued. I received a phone call from (828) 351-4023 asking me where I was and what bank was I at. When I told him I was at CHASE bank he denied his check was a scam and denied it, told me he would call back, which he never did. This scam is being run over state lines and may even be international in nature (final caller sounded very arabic/foreign accent). Upon googling both numbers they have extensive records of scamming people and many have commented the are surprised they haven't been caught by the FBI. I live in fear in that these people have my name, address, phone number and bank name. If I had enough money in my account to cover the check I would have been able to cash it or if the experienced teller had not come over (upon hearing I said it was “suspect”), the inexperienced/new teller would have most likely been able to deposit it and I would have been ultimately been liable upon check bouncing later on...This crime is seemingly being done on a LARGE scale by this group of people and needs to stop. I have filed a report with the FBI, have security installed at my house (and gun), notified equifax placing an alert and notified the postal inspector