I have been selling bikes and parts for many years, but here is a new scam (at least to me) I had a person contact me
about a bike I had on my website for sale and e-mailed me that he would buy it at the stated price ($5000.00 USD)
Two day's ago, he expressed mailed me a company check for $7500.00 (1st alert) It was mailed from Florida and the
company address on the check was San Francisco, California. (2nd alert) The check looked correct, even down
to a watermark. He e-mailed me and told me to take the extra $2500.00 and send it by Western Union to his "shipper"
in Virgina. This was to cover shipping of the bike and some extra he owed to his "shipper" (3rd alert)
I took the check to my bank and had a manager check it out. He had no doubt that it was bogus. After about 30 minutes,
it was confirmed that the check was no good. Now here is the best part. I could have deposited the check and after a few
day's, the check would have cleared and the funds would have been available to me. Then after two weeks or more, the
bookkeeper for the company would have found the fraudulent check and the bank would have reversed the funds and then
my bank comes after you know who, me! I would have had to pay back the bank the total of $7500.00. In the time that the check
had cleared, I would have sent the $2500.00 to the "shipper" $2500 to never be seen again. This is why the customer said in his e-mails
to let him know when the check had cleared the bank before sending the money. I hope this acts as a warning that no check is a guarantee
even if it has cleared your own bank.
