LAPTOP REPAIR SCAM: Already depositied check...WHAT TO DO?

Hello,,

I have been corresponding with a a 'BRITTANEY JONES' about repairing 7 laptops, which I quoted her for $600.00. She has been VERY responsive and convincing. She bumped me up to $700 and instructed that I was to deduct my portion from the check.

After MUCH suspicion after receiving a check that had THREE different names AND an amount for $1,950.00,
I blindly deposited it anyway. My bank told me that the funds are withheld and there's a hold onto my account.

Afterwards, I did a search and realized I am now a victim and contacted my bank to inform them as much. They said I should report it to the police. The ONLY evidence I have are the emails and a check stub.

WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW? The culprit has my name, physical address, and my cell no. That's it.

I would appreciate any sound advice to handle this urgent situation. THANK YOU for your speedy response!!!

Yes, you need to report the fraudulent check to your local police. Depending on where you live, also a national agency ( but your local PD can likely tell you what else to do). to give you more answers all hinges on where you live ( Country mostly, then region and locality). If you could tell us what country you live in then we may be able to give you more advice.

Hopefully you have not wired or otherwise transferred the funds from the fake check to anyone else. If you have, then you have lost money and likely will never see it again.

Hello!!!

THANKS for your speedy reply!!! Currently, the check is on hold by my bank. I live in the U.S.A. So what should I tell the police exactly from your experience? Am I in trouble?

Also, all I have is just the check stub AND the FedEx envelope that has the sender's information on it.

First of all, the bank will hold the check for a certain amount of time, depending on a lot of variables. Do not under any circumstances use any of the money you think that check contained, because even if your banks hold on the funds goes away, weeks or sometimes months later it will found as a fake and you will be back charged for it.

In the very rare event the check is actually not fraudulent, then it will be backed by criminals trying to launder money. You do not want to get involved in that at all. Let the local Police tell you your best options from their point of view. Since they will get to see everything you can offer them. From what you are saying here, it really sounds like you are a victim, not a criminal. So I'd guess that the PD will feel the same way after you meet with them. It probably would help if you contact the IC3 and FTC ( see below) prior to going to your local PD as well.

your best bet with the police is to tell them the truth, of course. Take all of your emails, and other communications with you ( or copies of ) to show that you are a victim of this crime.

Its sad they used Fed X, not the USPS. But you should also notify the fraud department of Fed X. ( The USPS has an Inspector that has authority all over the US, and they are very good at locating criminals).

While you are at it, the IC 3 https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx , and the FTC, http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/fe ... money-back should also be notified.

Chances are good your scammer is not sophisticated enough to steal your ID, they only wanted your money. He can now however, impersonate you ( which is not stealing your ID).

You should create some "Google alerts" for all of the personal information given to these scammers. Go to http://www.google.com/alerts and set up one each for “complete address" , ”bldg # street name" "Drivers license #" "SSN" "FirstName LastName" and "LastName FirstName", “email address”, and what ever other data you have given. be sure to use only one alert per quotation query.

use the quotes " " as above for each one of the alerts they set up with Google. It is not likely the ID will be compromised, but I think its better to err on the side of safe, rather than sorry in this case. If the alerts ever show results, address them at that time.

If it is a passport # then contact homeland security (USA) ( Department of State) and report it compromised to be issued a new passport #. If they do try anything stupid, you do not want it coming back to haunt you in any way.

Print out all the emails with complete headers twice. Show one copy to the police and the other to the fraud department of your bank. If you've been talking with someone else at the bank, ask specifically for the fraud department. Give the police the contact info for the fraud department and vice versa.

VX brings up some very valid points. Would you please look at the complete headers and post both the "FROM" and "REPLY TO" address(es) of this criminal?? If you can post the complete headers, but remove your personal information before you post them, it may tell us a lot about this scammer.

If you don't know how to reveal the complete headers, see the links at the bottom of my post for help with that.

and to make sure you were / are talking to the fraud department of your bank. I did make that assumption since you said you had spoken to the bank. I should know by now not to assume things Sorry about that. But thank you for adding it in, VX

Hi, and THANK YOU BOTH for this valuable information and advice. This is VERY frustrating, especially since I cannot get the police department on the phone. Also, CORRECTION: The package was sent via USPS. I spoke with them and apparently the scammer used Amazon's USPS ID no.

I checked the VERIFY EMAIL: [email of culprit: [email protected]], and it yielded negative results.

As requested, here is the header of 'her' second email. I accidentally deleted the 1st one:

from: Brittaney Jones <[email protected]>
to:
date: Sun, Jul 19, 2015 at 3:10 PM
subject: Re: Response from JW DATA RECOVERY SERVICES!!!
mailed-by: gmail.com
signed-by: gmail.com
: Important mainly because of your interaction with messages in the conversation.

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP!!!! YOU TWO ROCK!!!! I am already looking forward to bringing permanent closure to this troublesome case. I REALLY APPRECIATE your time and energy!!!!

If that was not the correct header information, here is the ORIGINAL message in its coded form:


Delivered-To:
Received: by 10.36.126.132 with SMTP id h126csp1048170itc;
Sun, 19 Jul 2015 12:10:13 -0700 (PDT)
X-Received: by 10.194.77.97 with SMTP id r1mr46801489wjw.98.1437333013274;
Sun, 19 Jul 2015 12:10:13 -0700 (PDT)
Return-Path: <[email protected]>
Received: from mail-wi0-x242.google.com (mail-wi0-x242.google.com. [2a00:1450:400c:c05::242])
by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id xb1si30668595wjc.15.2015.07.19.12.10.12
for <>
(version=TLSv1.2 cipher=ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256 bits=128/128);
Sun, 19 Jul 2015 12:10:13 -0700 (PDT)
Received-SPF: pass (google.com: domain of [email protected] designates 2a00:1450:400c:c05::242 as permitted sender) client-ip=2a00:1450:400c:c05::242;
Authentication-Results: mx.google.com;
spf=pass (google.com: domain of [email protected] designates 2a00:1450:400c:c05::242 as permitted sender) [email protected];
dkim=pass [email protected];
dmarc=pass (p=NONE dis=NONE) header.from=gmail.com
Received: by mail-wi0-x242.google.com with SMTP id m20so6999349wil.2
for <>; Sun, 19 Jul 2015 12:10:12 -0700 (PDT)
DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed;
d=gmail.com; s=20120113;
h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to
:content-type;
bh=IxOxqzcBnPpydxKck6L7xQnTOelk/e9aXVr8g8dBRz8=;
b=1BuZDamAZLUJ2by7m3kUlSoRMxyrnDRBVL+g/fx70U512jQM2KUB48a+hXQryVVjHg
30EBjK2mvQ0ln0slb7b6GMJGPrHDGBokhyrksiXXPfmBDYMh3OrSuecuyXQS6eUjIulz
aWzsdUbxdUXHOKuj4Up/12jgCOQct4RN33lMBr8W/8P/85H+qFrVHdj8adTE9cm4R0yi
DRA79ecxDdccEStQcPvyBoFlM1wWWICGYVMWmckBOpyjSwCBkhGw7vdM0UW+n3B5Wi1a
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v57w==
MIME-Version: 1.0
X-Received: by 10.180.182.33 with SMTP id eb1mr14349075wic.8.1437333012558;
Sun, 19 Jul 2015 12:10:12 -0700 (PDT)
Received: by 10.28.92.20 with HTTP; Sun, 19 Jul 2015 12:10:12 -0700 (PDT)
In-Reply-To: <CAKKraAS_7rDoe9n2a-jraZKb52G6avWb+MtS2cMJpjbz-W0hnA@mail.gmail.com>
References: <CAKKraAS_7rDoe9n2a-jraZKb52G6avWb+MtS2cMJpjbz-W0hnA@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2015 20:10:12 +0100
Message-ID: <CACKG_swLXW-2aw65quv56oWbiO3-Cvg+1TWfTQsSAQQ79OLt2A@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Response from.....
From: Brittaney Jones <[email protected]>
To: >
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

I really appreciate the prompt respond to my email. I have been
contracted to fix up some HP laptops but at the moment am in Triune,
TN. attending to some other jobs. In view of this we are looking to
offer you this job and we want you to handle the fixing of the laptops
on agreed terms.

These are what need to be done on the laptops.

1. Format Hard Drive,
2. Instal Win 7,
3. Microsoft Office Package,
4. AVG Virus Software (Free Lifetime Updates)
5. Adobe Acrobat,
6. Diagnostics of the entire system after to check hard drive, cdrom,
floppy, etc.

So if you are capable of handling this get back to me with the total
cost for handling each unit based on a total cost of 6 Units.

And i have all the necessary software and license needed for the
service installations, Please kindly get back to me with below
details:

Full name, Mailing Address, City, State, Zip code, Cell Phone number
and your total cost for handling the 6 Units. So that my secretary can
prepare a Cashier check to you immediately.

Note: I have a reliable shipper who will be responsible for the
delivery of the laptops to you and also the pick up after you have
completed the job. I will be looking forward to hear from you soon.

Thanks
Brittaney Jones.

--------------------------

HOPE THIS HELPS!!!

yes, directly above is the complete header ( also called "original" in gmail). Unfortunately the only thing that can really be told from it for us ( the average citizen) is that it originated from a +1 GMT time zone. That also happens to be a Nigerian Time zone.... but not proof it came from Nigeria. http://24timezones.com/ Law enforcement can get much more information than we can, and they deserve a chance to do their jobs.

Its really great that they did come from the USPS. Go here for the USPI ( inspectors) office https://ribbs.usps.gov/locators/find-is.cfm and here is a victim witness program from the USPI, too : https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/radD ... sMain.html

I'd strongly suggest you search your trash and other email boxes for the one you deleted. It will look so much better if you have all of the evidence you claim to have with you when you go to see the various authorities.

the IC3, FTC, and possibly the USPI now have electronic forms you can fill out on the web. But chances are good for your local PD you will have to go there in person to make the report.

My guess from reading the letter you posted is that these laptops were scammed from online advertisers, and now he ( yes, its a he, not a she) is trying to scam you out of repairing them for free, and installing those particular softwares.... sending you a fake check to pay for it all, and asking you to wire money back to him... so you would actually lose the repair costs, installation costs, bounced check fees, wire fees, not to mention the amount of money you did wire from the fraudulent check.

As I said earlier, even if this check is not fraudulent, then chances are real good it is criminal backed money and the chance of you being liable for money laundering is real big if you send money to someone else from an "overpayment scam".

If you report everything to the authorities now (early) they can see you are a victim, not deserving of charges.

Good luck, please let us know when your bank's fraud department tells you the check is fake, or whatever else may happen in the long run.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH for reaching out to me!!!!! I'm SOOO GRATEFUL and you actually helped to turn my day upside down!!! Some MAGIC came out of it, despite losing a much needed 'job', but that's just ONE opportunity out of infinite possibilities, right?

I will keep you posted for sure. Tomorrow I will file a police report and pay a visit to my bank for fraud investigation.

I'm sending YOU A GINORMOUS WAVE OF POSITIVITY, ABUNDANCE, AND WARM SMILES!!! Your generosity will be returned for sure!!!!

thank you, too. Here is some more information about fake check frauds, in case you want to read more on them.
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3237

Hello,

So I just filed a police report and of course this is common. Fortunately, he advised that I race to my bank, which I did, and the check has already been returned, with no effects to my account.

I am SOOOO relieved, although the culprit has my cell and home address. I was very unwise, overly trusting, and desperate in this case, but it's a lesson learned.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH for all your assistance and I appreciate your willingness to help.

you are welcome. Please don't forget to follow through with the USPI, IC3, and FTC as well. You have a good bank to return the check with no fees attached to it ( or a good banking plan).

Glad to hear some good has come of it, even if so far it is only the fact that you did not lose a bounced check fee.

I am SOOOO relieved, although the culprit has my cell and home address. I was very unwise, overly trusting, and desperate in this case, but it's a lesson learned.

Remember the google alerts above, in case he tries to impersonate you. They may also alert you to websites that have your personal information on display that you don't wish them to be on public display. If you don't already practice the art of "I do not answer from #'s I do not know", today might be a good time to start the practice. The same will go for texts. remember, google is your friend when you need information.

The quality of over trusting is a good one to have, and people should be celebrated for that quality. Unfortunately there are too many out there that exploit a good quality for their own greed.

The sad fact is that nowadays its "Trust is earned, not given" with nearly everyone you meet.

Lessons are learned the hard way, but thankfully this one only got your heart rate up, you did not lose money or worse.