Don't Get Caught In An Internet Money Laundering Scam

I Sold an old stove on Craigslist, sight unseen, for $450.  I knew this was a money-laundering, internet scam almost instantly but I played along anyway.

 

The buyer sent me a check for $2,000.  Following is the string of email communication between her and me (My responses are in red type. Hers are printed, uncorrected as they were).  Be sure to read this all the way to the end.  This was SOOOO MUCH FUN.

May 24  Craigslist internet reply:

I'll be free today until about 5:00 and would be happy to come see it , I'll be in tomorrow but possibly busy between about 4:00 to 6:00.Email me ASAP and we can arrange a time that works. Email me @ chloe0pa5@gmail.com

Yuette

Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S(tm) III, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

Ralph M. Petersen	May 24
to chloe0pa5

I will be available tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon or early evening.  You can call me at (555-5555) to arrange an appointment to see the stove.

Yuette Upson	May 25
to me

Thanks for the prompt response to my mail. I will be buying from you so please kindly withdraw the advert from C.LIST. Please be informed that I will be paying with a certified check from my Bank it will be delivered to you via Service FedEx. How much is total price for the item and I'll need you to provide me with the following information to facilitate the mailing of the check to You Asap

Name to be on the payment...........
Home address...........
City..............
State...........
Zip Code..............
Cell phone #................

I will make arrangements for the pick up as soon as you have your money I am completely satisfied with the advert and the payment will be delivered within Next day Service.** I use a hearing impaired phone # and will receive your calls via email **

Ralph M. Petersen	May 26
to Yuette

I appreciate that you intend to purchase the stove from me but I am somewhat puzzled that you have not actually seen it yet.  The stove is located in our store at  (address).  Business hours are …

The price on the stove is $450 and the total (incl. sales tax) is $486.00.  A check from your bank should be made payable to Ralph Petersen.  If you are going to mail the check, please send it to (my address).  You may take possession of the stove as soon as the check clears.

Unfortunately, until the stove is actually purchased, I cannot withdraw the ad from Craigslist. 

Thank you. 

Yuette Upson	May 29
to me

Good day and I do contact my secretary now to issue the payment to you and you will receive the payment on next week Tuesday because I will not be arrive at the moment. You will receive the payment via FedEx Courier services with the shipping funds to cover the shipment of the item I bought from you. Once you receive the check, have it cashed and deduct your money for the item also deduct $50 for your running around that I have caused you during the transaction period and send the remaining funds to the mover, and the mover is also picking some other valuable goods (like household, furniture's and electronics set.) at the same city of your location to my new apartment. That is why you need to help me and transfer the amount to the moving company..Please let me know if i can trust you? so that i can move forward from here i will get back to you with tracking number immediately the secretary email me the tracking number. Best Regard

Ralph M. Petersen	May 29
to Yuette

I will do exactly as you have instructed.  $450. for the stove, $36. for sales tax, and $50. for handling.  I will cash your check when it arrives and I will retain $536. and forward the balance to the moving co. of your choice per your instructions.

Yuette Upson	May 31
to me

Thanks for your trustworthiness in this transaction , I just get information now that you will received the payment by FEDEX Service Today for confirmation  WWW.FedEx.com/us..770149858393, So as soon as you get the payment  you will need to go and  have the payment deposited in your Bank. Then  deduct  your money for the item as soon as you have the fund from the bank and also remove the extra $50 for the trouble I have caused you during the transaction period and have the rest fund  wire to my mover via Money Gram money transfer so that He can be  able to come for the pick up of the item any time from now or weekend. Here is my mover info to wire the remaining money to....

Name: Desmond Gellings
Address: 2087 Federal Way
City: Idaho falls
State: Idaho
post code: 83402

As soon as you wire the money to my mover i will like you to get back to me with Money Gram details such as:

1:Sender's name and address used in sending the money
2:The Reference number.
3:Actual amount sent after the money gram charges.

And mail me your best time for my shipper to come for the pick up of the items  also your map quest for easy way to my mover to come to your location.

Please note****All money gram charges should be deduct out of the fund wiring to the shipper..Thanks

Ralph M. Petersen	May 31
to Yuette

Okay, I received your check (in the amount of $2,000.) today via FedEx.  Unfortunately, my bank is closed now and I will not be able to deposit it until Monday.  I will deposit it then and it will probably have a five day hold until the funds will be available to me.  As soon as I get confirmation from my bank that the check has cleared, I will continue the transaction according to your direction.

Yuette Upson	May 31
to me

OK  thanks and I await to hear back from you soon

Yuette Upson	Jun 2
to me

Hello Ralph, could you please let me know how soon will you get the transfer done and also best time for pick up!

Yuette Upson	Jun 4
to me

Ralph, I want you to let me know how soon will you get the money gram done and also best time for pick up cos the funds have clear in your bank now????

Yuette Upson	Jun 5
to me

Ralph, I am going to involve the police now if you didn't return my email and get the money gram done and set up time for pick up

Ralph M. Petersen	Jun 5
to Yuette

Yuette,

I told you, the day I received the check, that I would deposit it and there would necessarily be an approx. 5 day hold.  I deposited the check in my account on Tuesday.  Today is only Thursday and my bank has told me that I probably need at least seven to ten days to ensure that the check will clear.  Your insistence on hurrying this, along with the fact that this transaction is highly unusual (as I indicated before), makes me cautious. 

As for pickup, you have the physical address where the stove is located and I am available almost any time to meet your shippers.

The better way for you to conduct this transaction (and the more expedient) would have been to simply pay me the amount of the stove plus sales tax, and you pay your shipper. 

I'm sorry for your frustration but I have a friend who has been scammed in a similar arrangement and his account was debited for the amount of the uncleared check.  I cannot afford that.  I don't mean to be accusatory, but I don't know you and I need to be careful.

If that is not agreeable, you might consider putting a stop payment on your check or maybe you should go ahead and contact the police. 

Otherwise, I intend to comply with your directions AFTER my bank convinces me that the funds have been successfully transferred to my account.

Ralph M. Petersen
to Yuette

Yuette,  I thought I should inform you that I will not be sending the money gram to your shipper; the check is no good because the account is closed.  But you already knew that, didn't you? . 

First see this.

Then look at this.

Looks like you have done this to lots of other people.  I was born at night but it wasn't last night.  I am only out $10. for the return check charge at my bank but that's okay; It was the most fun I have ever had for only ten bucks; I really enjoyed playing you on this and I know it cost someone a few bucks to send the check via FedEx overnight service.  

I was going to report this to the police but I won't.  That's right, I won't call the cops.  Your money-laundering scam involves a Liberian Corp. in Virginia that generated the bogus check, a flooring company in Texas that mailed the check, and a freight handler in Idaho waiting to receive my funds, and you, a fake purchaser, supposedly located, who knows where?  That's quite an impressive network of pathetic scumbags and I can see how you can intimidate and pressure people into purchasing and mailing large sums of money BEFORE they find out that your payment is bogus. 

Like I said, I will not report this to the police; whenever criminals (that's you) operate across state lines, it is a federal crime and so I will be sending copies of all these email messages to the FBI and the IRS.  Furthermore, I will post them on my Facebook network just for kicks.  Also, I will add my report to the several others that have been submitted to Craigslist.

By the way, if you still want the stove, I would be delighted to sell it to you for the original amount of only $450 plus sales tax PLUS the ten dollars your bogus check cost me.  Please note, I accept CASH ONLY!   I look forward to doing business with you.  Have a nice day!

Sincerely, 

 

Ralph M. Petersen

PS  Your grammar and your spelling stink.