I got a letter in the mail today that would have looked more at home in my email box. Photos on my website.

http://modeltengine.com/scams.htm

I wonder how many of these he sent out, and how many of us bit to hook.

What is the scam?

I'm not sure how it works, but he's obviously not a Model T guy, does not know anything about what we do here, can't write with the English language, etc... Just like this email, I can't figure out how they get paid:

turn on climax staircase

Amaze her with your large, tick pe _nis in just a few weeks

ollysdl.com

Not as overdraw wide collector

or this one:

A in gents balls

Vi_Ra _Ag - $1.76
C _i >_ -a _l _i _s - $2.61
L_ e> v >i _t -ra - $3.95
S_ o> _ >m -a - $0.65
Re >genisis HG _H
Ma -le Growth Product

Fema _le Pr _oduct F _emE -lle

HEREDAY.CN

send succumb

No click here, no address to mail a check to, I can't figure it out, but I get 1,000 a day.

This was the first one ever sent to my mailbox out front.

I'm trying hard to find the scam. Maybe I'm naive. Sounds like a person for whom English is a second language. Look at his name. Does the lack of higher English skills preclude a person from being an old car guy? How can answering his simple question place you in jeopardy? I dunno, I don't see it. Enlighten me.

Fake check scam. VERY common, though usually in email. It's becoming rare in snail mail. I get them literally daily in my business email account. They're always generic -- "I'm interested in your product". It doesn't matter what the product is, nor are they actually interested in getting anything you're selling. The plan is to "buy" something and send you a fake check for more than the sale amount, with some cover story to explain the overage and a request that you cash the check and refund the overpayment by Western Union. The sad truth is that banks routinely make funds available before a check actually clears. You get the money in your account, assume all is well, send off the money, and then WHAM -- your bank calls to tell you the money order or certified check is stolen or counterfeit. You're the one who is on the hook for the full amount.

This link will tell you everything you need to know:
http://www.fraud.org/toolbox/tips/english/fakechecks.htm

For some reason, the majority of fake checks coming into the US are generated in Canada, notably the Toronto area. It's a very, very big business.

I forgot to remark on Tim's post. That's just routine spam. The added gibberish is to trick your spam filter into believing it's real email by breaking up the words that automatically trigger the filter and adding random words to further cloud the real nature of the message. Spammers are always two steps ahead of spam fighters. They're just hoping that 1 person in 10 million will actually go to ollysdl.com. That's all it takes to make a profit.

Cyberspace can be a nasty place, unfortunately.

Maybe one of our Canadian members can tell us more? They used an online post office to mail it www.epost.ca Maybe I'm wrong? I would think that anyone that is serious about wanting our services would mention his T, or what he needs done. "I was interested in your product". Uh- what product? We don't manufacture or re-sell anything.

Lonny, you and jkcallin can have this one, write him back and see what he needs. The sale is all yours, split the profits between you. I personally think it's the next generation of the Nigerian scams. I work too hard for my tiny paychecks. Besides, I already got taken once when I was a kid. It's not going to happen again if I can help it.

#%@*&^ !! Please don't think all Canadians are rotten. We are so liberal in our immigration laws that these #%@*&^ put the rest of us in a bad light. Grrrrrr.
rb

Here is the first one of the morning in my email:


You've got new founds!



Adil Hassan Mohammed just sent you money with PayPal

Adil Hassan Mohammed is a Verifyed buyer


Payment Details:

Amount: $100.00 USD
Subject: Viagra.
Trancaction ID: 7PF71860PP9703380

I hope no one takes my comments to denigrate Canadians in any way -- after all, my parents and all my ancestors were Canadian. :-) I don't know why the check scammers seem to cluster around Toronto, but it's an unfortunate fact.

I doubt if they're physically in Toronto, probably just a mail drop, most people have gotten wise to Nigeria. What amazes me is that there are people still falling for this stuff. We recently had a case out here, it was either San Diego or San Fransisco, where a Navy Chief embezzled OUR money, about a quarter of a Mil because he was stupid enough to get involved with one these scams.

Alex

canada has nothing to do with it - an electronic address can be anywhere, and can also have an imbedded actual address to anywhere.

.com or .ca or .cn or wherever, all can be abused.

First thing, if they can't spell, be cautious. Second, if they can't be reached, be worried. Third, if they think a T is only the letter after S and before U, run!

Let me tell you about scam tried on me. Got email about two weeks ago from my credit card company, knew it was a scam so did not open it. Last week had a message on my PHONE answering machine that in two weeks my card would not be good unless I called this 800 #. Was not number on back of card so I called the number on back of card. The message is a scam. So watch out they are now going to using the phone too. Dan.