We need to alert you all, and our members to a scam being perpetrated on our Classified website. We have our J class Ranger listed on the classified website. About a month ago, I received an email from a "James McHenry" asking for more details. We responded with specs & pictures, and the price, $2495.
Two days later, we received an email from Mr. McHenry, saying he wanted to buy the boat. He would send me a bank check for $4500 which I would deposit, and use the balance to pay the company that would pick up the boat, crate it & ship to him.
I've read about this scam, but figured I'd play along a bit. Sure enough he sent me a 'purported' cashiers check from a credit union in Maryland for $4500 and instructions to send a money order to a lady in Kentucky for the shipping. The check, which looked real to me was sent from Malaysia!
In his original email, he gave a phone number in Long Island, New York. Using a reverse search, there is a James McHenry in Hicksville, NY, but no record of the phone number.
I sent him an email and asked for his phone number as I needed to talk to him. He called me.....the caller ID showed a phone number in Nigeria!
OK, I'm wise to the scam but took the "cashiers check" to my person at Bank of America....who took one look at it and said it was fake! Probably forged in Malaysia.
What did she see? The border of the check was not uniform with the same white space around the center. The watermark & paper looked perfect.
The most important thing? A bank check is ALWAYS signed by a real person, NEVER with a printed signature.
Oh yes, Mr. McHenry called and asked when the transaction would clear & we'd send the money to the shipper. I told him that B of A said the check was a fake. He hung up.
Please warn our members of this. Our B of A rep said many, many folks are being suckered with this fraud.
Really, I could not tell it was a fake!
Phil Ehlinger
AMYA 11613
