Laura McCray - scam alert

[She] replied to my craigslist add. It didn't feel right.

Be careful please.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Laura Mccray" <[email protected]>
Date: May 8, 2012 12:11 PM
Subject: Re: Ikea white love seat used KIVIK couch - $225 (Midtown East)
To:

Hello Wesley,

How are you doing today? l just wanted to let you know that the check has been delivered today via Fedex thanks for your honesty towards this transaction so far. Well, the overpayment is meant to cover the cost of shipment for the item alongside my other properties including tax and insurance plus the movers and agent fees.

Please deposit the check today so that it clears tomorrow after the check has cleared,All you have to do is go the bank and have the rest of the money withdrawn in cash and have it sent to the movers via Money gram
Name : Lee R Grecian jr
Address : 125 N. Los Angeles St.
City : Los Angeles
state : CA
Zip code : 90012
Do let me know your schedule for the week regarding pickup as i have some other properties to be moved alongside the item. Please do act accordingly as agreed after deducting your money for the item, make the rest fund available to the movers via money gram at any of their outlet around you or check on www.moneygram.com {click find location} and check for their outlets around and get back to me with the transfer details below (as it appears on the receipt) so i can contact the movers for the pick-up at your location ....Deduct the moneygram transfer charges from my fund also $50 for yourself (meant for any hassle or run around).

1}Sender's name and address
2}Refernce number (pls send a scanned copy of the receipt if possible)
3}Actual amount sent after the fee had been deducted

Hope i can trust you with the overpayment? Your Honesty and transparency will be appreciated


I await your response thank you

This is what I received in response to selling furniture on CraigsList here in the state of VA.


Hello,

This is Jennifer, Thanks for getting back to me I want to buy this but the only way i can pay you is via a Bank Certified Check that i will mail to you using FedEx overnight delivery

To make sure that everything goes smoothly i would wait for the check to clear before the pickup is done, I would be responsible for the pickup and it will be done by the movers and their payment will be included in the check i mail to you and this is all due to my disability (am deaf) and it makes it hard for me deal with this and it makes the transaction better and quicker.

I know you were not expecting this and I would have loved to come for the viewing but i cant I really want it and am offering an extra $50 for you to delete the posting to show i want it as i am just settling into my new house i want good deals to furnish the apartment i stay in.

if you are okay with this please send me extra pictures and get back to me with the following

Your Full name
Your Physical address (as FedEx does not deliver to P.o.boxes)


I await your response . thank you and stay blessed



Yesterday she sent the "receipt"

How are you doing today? I just wanted to let you know that the check has been delivered today via Ups thanks for your honesty towards this transaction so far. Well, the overpayment is meant to cover the cost of shipment for the item alongside my other properties including tax and insurance plus the movers and agent fees.

Please deposit the check today so that it clears tomorrow after the check has cleared,All you have to do is go the bank and have the rest of the money withdrawn in cash and have it sent to the movers via Money gram

Name : Lee Grecian Jr.
Address : 125 N. Los Angeles St.
City : Los Angeles
state : CA
Zip code : 90012

Do let me know your schedule for the week regarding pickup as i have some other properties to be moved alongside the item. Please do act accordingly as agreed after deducting your money for the item, make the rest fund available to the movers via money gram at any of their outlet around you or check on www.moneygram.com {click find location} and check for their outlets around and get back to me with the transfer details below (as it appears on the receipt) so i can contact the movers for the pick-up at your location ....Deduct the money gram transfer charges from my fund also $50 for yourself (meant for any hassle or run around).

1} Sender’s name and address
2} Reference number which is the 8 digits reference on the Money gram receipt
3} Actual amount sent after the fee had been deducted
4} Scanned copy of the receipt or picture if possible

Hope i can trust you with the overpayment? Your Honesty and transparency will be appreciated.

I await your response, Thank you

Jennifer Thompson



Your Tracking Information
Status: DELIVERED
Last Scan: 5/10/2012 8:10:00 AM DELIVERED HAMPTON, VA US
HAMPTON, VA US
Delivered To: HAMPTON, VA US
Delivery Date: Thursday, May 10, 2012
Delivery Time: 8:10 AM
Delivery Location: FRONT DOOR
Carrier: UPS
Service: WORLDWIDE SERVICES
UPS Tracking Number: 43180572104


This is real sketchy. I haven't even looked inside the package that I supposedly received. Did you receive a package Wesley? If so, what was it?

[AlanJones]

Hello ohsheilalynn and welcome to ScamWarners.

The package will contain a fake cheque.

The best thing to do with it is to shred it and cut off all communication with the scammers.

Exactly what I planned on doing. Thank you for your posting

Defently a scam!!! Dont send them any money or anything!!!

Jennifer Thompson is on a roll. I recieved a request from her to buy a $359.00 Thomasville Queen Anne's secretary on Tuesday May 15, 2012. The exchange between Jennifer and me was nearly identical to what is quoted from other folks on this site. BEWARE!

This is a copy of my exchnage with her from 5/17/12:

How are you doing today? I just wanted to let you know that the check has been delivered today via FedEx thanks for your honesty towards this transaction so far. Well, the overpayment is meant to cover the cost of shipment for the item alongside my other properties including tax and insurance plus the movers and agent fees.

Please deposit the check today so that it clears tomorrow after the check has cleared,All you have to do is go the bank and have the rest of the money withdrawn in cash and have it sent to the movers via Money gram

Name : Lee Grecian Jr.
Address : 125 N. Los Angeles St.
City : Los Angeles
state : CA
Zip code : 90012

Do let me know your schedule for the week regarding pickup as i have some other properties to be moved alongside the item. Please do act accordingly as agreed after deducting your money for the item, make the rest fund available to the movers via money gram at any of their outlet around you or check on www.moneygram.com {click find location} and check for their outlets around and get back to me with the transfer details below (as it appears on the receipt) so i can contact the movers for the pick-up at your location ....Deduct the money gram transfer charges from my fund also $50 for yourself (meant for any hassle or run around).

1} Sender’s name and address
2} Reference number which is the 8 digits reference on the Money gram receipt
3} Actual amount sent after the fee had been deducted
4} Scanned copy of the receipt or picture if possible

Hope i can trust you with the overpayment? Your Honesty and transparency will be appreciated.

I await your response, Thank you

Jennifer Thompson

She also noted why she was doing this this way in this email from later that same day:

Hi,
I did explain all this to you before you gave me your details that i would include the movers fee, the reason i could not send the money to them personally is because they do accept only money gram and not checks which am unavailable to do as am out of town for surgery and the website doesn't send that much, also need to move before i return, if they accepted check as form of payment i would have paid them personally. So kindly do deposit the check and let me know when you do

Thank You

Jennifer Thompson

I have not yet figured out what to do with the $3,000 check she sent but I'm going to get that figured out today.

Welcome, and thank you for posting!

I have not yet figured out what to do with the $3,000 check she sent but I'm going to get that figured out today.

You can rip it up and throw it away, mark it as "fake" and keep it as a souvenir of escaping being scammed, or mark it as "fake" and turn it over to your local law enforcement, if they're interested.

I posted an ad on Craigslist for a queen-size bed, mattress, and box-spring in Indianapolis, Indiana.

I got this email from "todayisthe dayafter", [email protected]:
"Hello,
How are you doing? I just saw your ad and would please like to know if you still have it please let me know
thank you
My name is Laura Mcray."

I replied that it was still for sale and received a reply from "Mccray Laura", [email protected]:

"Hello,

It is me Laura thanks for getting back to me I want to buy this but the only way i can pay you is via a Bank Certified Check that i would mail to you using the Fedex next day delivery,

To make sure that everything goes smoothly i would wait for the check to clear before the pickup is done, I would be responsible for the pickup and it would be done by the movers and their payment would be included in the check i mail to you and this is all due to my disability (am deaf) and it makes it hard for me deal with this and it makes the transaction better and quicker.

I know you were not expecting this and I would have loved to come for the viewing but i cant I really want it and am offering an extra $50 for you to delete the posting to show i want it as i am just settling into my new house i want good deals to furnish the apartment i stay in.

if you are okay with this please send me extra pictures and get back to me with the following

Your Full name
Your Physical address (as FedEx does not deliver to P.oboxes)

I await your response . thank you and stay blessed

Laura Mccray"

It all sounded suspicious, especially since she spelled her last name differently in each email. I googled her name and found this site. I wanted to add her two names and email addresses to this thread (Mccray Laura, [email protected] & todayisthe dayafter, [email protected]).

I did not reply to her email. Thanks for the scam warning!

I also received this same email from a Lauren White < [email protected] >. I'm so mad about it. I let go of other offers because she seemed so genuine in her first email.

Welcome to Scamwarners karlaliliana,

I am willing to say. Most of the other offers were probably scammers also.

The scammer wanted to send you a fake Paypal payment. He has a fake Paypal address from a free email provider. The payment would look real. Its a screen shot of a fake payment. Depending on what you were selling he would either try to steal your money or property. If it was a vehicle or large item, he would pretend to make an overpayment. He then will instruct you to pay a mover, shipper or agent. The fake Paypal email from the scammer would say that your Paypal funds will be released when you send the scammer (mover,agent or shipper) money via Western Union or Money Gram. In reality Paypal would never hold your funds.

Log into Paypal directly without any links to check for monies received or call Paypal directly from the number on their site.

If you are selling electronics, Cell phones or computers then the scammer is trying to steal your "item". Your fake funds will be released when you send the scammer a scan copy of a receipt showing you mailed your item.

This same scam works with fake check and money orders. You and your bank will think they are real. After you cash the fake check. Days or weeks later your bank will inform you of the fraud. Your bank will have you repay the monies. Possibly close your account for fraud and report you to Law Enforcement.

The best thing to do is to sell in person face to face in a public place.