Lesson Seekers: Craigslist Cashier Check Scam

Timothy Yalamanchili is now trying to pull the same check scam in US ESL lessons, which should, by rights, have been his bread and butter from the beginning. I'm an ESL instructor and he contacted me on Monday, April 13, 2009.

-----------------------------
(First e-mail:)

** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html

--
Hello,

I hope you are doing fine today..Can you pls let me know if you are able to give lessons my son and how much it will cost for a minimum time of 3hrs per week.

Pls get back to me asap so as to proceed with the arrangement.

Thanks

Timothy

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Second e-mail:)

Hi ,


Thanks for getting back to me and for your commitment..Just to introduce myself to you...I am Timothy Yalamanchili and am a Mechanical Engineer...I was born and raised in Brooklyn,New York but am currently based in Northampton,United Kingdom with my wife and children.


My Son will be coming for an holiday in the States,and i want him to be busy with his studies..Therefore, i just want to know if he can always come to you and teach him great things every afternoon..If this is possible,i will want you to get back to me with the cost of your teaching him for a month which can start as soon as he arrives...


He will be in the states in very soon and will be coming to your Place for 1 hour each morning/afternoon/evening..I do have someone that will always drive him down to your Place,i mean a Nanny or perhaps you can as well come to him..


My Son's name is Marx,he is 14 years old and he hardly excel in those aspects. I will want you to calculate 1 hour per day for Monday,Wednesday,Friday or you can as well set 3 days that suites your availability for a MONTH,and get back to me so that we can arrange on payment.Kindly get back to me with..
Thanks and waiting to read from you soon.

----------------------------
Timothy

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

I immediately Googled his name and found him posted here -- THANKS, SCAMWARNERS!

He wanted information on payment for English lessons for 1 month, for a 14 year old.

Being forewarned, I sent him a Google Checkout invoice for advance payment and told him I couldn't accept certified checks or expense payments.

Think he reads scamwarners?

Think he'll keep going?

The book is open, ladies and gentlemen...

jim.karatassos. Well done on using google to good effect.

Thank you for posting this information and I am glad you were not scammed.

The scam with the tutoring is that they say they will send you a cheque for over the amount so that you can take your portion out and they want you to give the rest to “the nanny” for their son’s living expenses. They want your name, address, and phone number. The cheque will be fake.

This site click here lists many similar tutor scams, all are bogus and should be avoided.

Another similar scam;

Hi ,

Thanks for getting back to me..Am Engr. Kevin Adkins.I am from Phoenix in Arizona, but currently based in Glasgow,Scotland with my wife and children..My Son Alvin will be coming for an holiday in the States,and i want him to be busy throughout.

Therefore, i just want to know if he can always come to you and teach him good things on Math ( Algebra and Geometry ) every afternoon..If this is possible,i will want you to get back to me with the cost of your teaching him for a month which can start as soon as possible..

He will be in the states in very soon…He will be coming to your Place for 1 hour each morning or afternoon..I have someone that will always drive him down to your Place,i mean a Nanny or perhaps you can as well come to him..

My Son’s name is Alvin,he is 13 years old and he hardly excel in those aspects. I will want you to calculate 1 hour per day for Monday,Wednesday,Friday for a MONTH,and get back to me so that we can arrange on payment.Kindly get back to me with..

TOTAL CHARGES FOR 1 MONTH THAT HE WILL BE TAUGHT 3 TIMES PER WEEK..

Thanks and waiting to read from you soon.

Engr. Kevin Adkins

Another example here "Daniel Behnman" [email protected]

Mail 1

Thanks for replying to me Ad and so sorry for not getting back to you so sooner.Well My name is Daniel Behnman ,Am from united state but currently based in New castle,UK with my wife and children,my son will be coming for an holiday in U.S,and i want him to be busy throughout..Therefore, i just want to know may be he can always come to you and teach him great things on every morning ,afternoon or evening on algebra mathematics . If this is possible,i will want you to get back to me with the cost of your teaching for a month which can start as soon as he get to the state..he should be in the state very soon and will be coming to your house or meet at your nearest library for 1 hour each morning or afternoon or evening, I have someone that will always drive him down to your house.. My son name is federic,he is 14 years old. I will want you to calculate 1 hour per day for Monday,Wednesday,Friday for the whole 1 MONTH,and get back to me so that we can arrange on payment.Kindly get back to me with...... TOTAL CHARGES FOR 1 MONTH THAT HE WILL BE TAUGHT 3 TIMES PER WEEK..
Thanks and waiting to read from you soon.

Mr Daniel

Mail 2

Thank you for the email.Well my son is still new to this algebra subject. so you just have to start from the beginning with him and he will bring all the topics he is having problem with for you when the lesson is about to commence,i will also ask him to bring along his math book and other materials needed so if there is any hand book needed for the lesson just let me know with the charges for it okay.Am glad the way you have kept me posted on the (tutoring) and more so I have accepted your offer and its alright by me,am in New castle in Uk now and my son will be coming down there..I have make contacts with my son concerning the arrangement of the tutoring which he told me is alright too by him and that he will like to come by August 15 for the lesson to commence .So I want you to know that i am going to pay for a month payment which is $650 like you said and also i want you to know that i will instruct my client in the state and will be sending you my salary payment,so the rest of the money will be used to get accommodation beside your location and any other arrangement for the lesson,So as soon as you get the check payment then you will cash it and deduct your cost of tutoring of the lesson for a month, and send remaining funds to my NANNY through Western Union.So that the nanny can relocate my son accommodation to your nearest address for him to attend the lesson in the appropriate time.i would have love to separate this check and send you your part and the other part to nanny but as you know am currently here in UK so it is my client in the state that will be responsible for the finance and the check as been issued as a whole payment already and cannot be separated and more over i think i can trust you with the remainder of the funds since you are going tobe my son tutor.Regarding this kindly get back to me with your full information to receive the check so that payment can be
able to made out in time

Your full name .............................. ..........................

Your full address,apt # with zip code.......................... .......

Your phone number for contact................................

Thanks and waiting to read from you soon

Warmest Regards

Mail 3

Thanks for your info. You have been accepted as my son 's tutor for the algebra mathematics. i have faxed your info to my boss in the state and he will be making out the payment to you very soon. Please i will want you to keep in touch with me always and contact me always even if you didn't hear from you so as for me to be assure of your confirmation. i will be sending you the trackihng number of the payment for you to monitor the delivery as soon as the payment is sent and will also email you the nanny info in which you will be sending the rest of the money that will be on the check for my son accommodation... my son is very glad to have you tutor him and he has accepted you as his math tutor. so keep in touch always and will keep you updated on the payment and if there is any other information i will let you know.assoon as i my son get to the state i will ask the nanny to call you .. dont worry about that okay.Stay blessed and enjoy the rest of the week.

Regards

Thank for the link. I've shared the information and the link with my ESL administrator at the language school I work for. I'm under few illusions about my abilities to beat determined professionals at their own games. It is not about being "naturally" intelligent and aware.

If the guy had actually known something about TOEFL, he could have changed the student's age to 17 or so and given me some realistic security data about a minder that I would have found believable, having worked with a few rich people in the past.

If he had changed his screen name as well, I would not have found him immediately listed as a check scammers on this site. The scam might proceed apace, with the calls, the e-mails, the website: everything done to show that he is legit.

What if I didn't have a PayPal or Google Checkout account?

My bank and Moneygram are right down the street from me, and if I had bills to pay and I got a nice, big certified check in the mail, I might very well cash it. I would then walk another hundred yards and do what I felt was the right thing.

--------

Just change four details, and the scammer would win. It really is just that easy.

Jim, that's one reason the best advice is NEVER to send money by Western Union or Moneygram to someone you don't know in person - having met them face-to-face. Even then, sad to say, it's not always safe.

And be careful with PayPal and Google Checkout - scammers have been known to spoof online payment services. They are devious people indeed! Constant vigilance is the only way to avoid losing money to them.

I'm under few illusions about my abilities to beat determined professionals at their own games. It is not about being "naturally" intelligent and aware.

You did beat them. You spotted the parts of the story that made no sense, and saved yourself by doing some Internet research.
They aren't determined professionals. Mostly just lads in a Nigerian Internet cafe who send out so many emails that they do catch a few victims.
If you've learned never to pay anyone you don't know personally via Western Union or Moneygram, you're safe from just about all scams.